First Bus confirms Huddersfield depot industrial action called off by Unite

First Bus has confirmed that industrial action planned from Monday 3 February at its Huddersfield depot has been called off by Unite. The union will now hold a ballot of drivers on a pay offer it is recommending is accepted.

The package includes staged pay increases for drivers and lump sum payments up to £1,400 or more, dated back to September 2024. The overall deal covers a period of 24 months from April 2024 to April 2026.

It will increase the hourly rate for drivers in Huddersfield significantly and aligns with other depots of a similar size and scale.

Megan Hope, Operations Director of First Bus North & West Yorkshire, said:

“We are delighted that Unite is recommending this generous offer in pay for our Huddersfield drivers.

“We have continued to talk with Unite and invited representatives to review the structure of the deal available to reach a settlement that would benefit the drivers, whilst not increasing the overall cost.

“The whole team continues to focus on delivering an excellent service throughout the communities we serve in the Huddersfield area and avoiding the disruption of industrial action.”

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