200 Stagecoach drivers across the Highlands and Islands have secured a pay deal.

Unite general secretary of the trade union Sharon Graham said:

“Unite has successfully negotiated a pay deal at Stagecoach Highlands. Our members stood firm, and they were prepared to take strike action to get a better deal. Unite is once again, driving up jobs, pay and conditions across the bus industry in Scotland.”

In the first year of the deal running from July 2024, drivers will receive a basic pay rise of around 7.5% . Their pay package will be further boosted by overtime rates rising by up to 5%, which for some drivers based on hours worked will mean a double digit pay rise.  

The driver hourly rate will increase by a minimum of 2% or the rate of inflation in July 2025. Overtime rates will also rise from £16.50 to £17.50 in the second year of the deal. 

The deal ensures that the minimum hourly rate will amount to the real living wage plus an additional 3% .

It means the minimum hourly rate increases from the current £12.98 to £14.28 in July 2025, which is the equivalent to a rise of over 10% .

In October, the union revealed that bus drivers overwhelmingly backed strike action to secure an enhanced pay offer from Stagecoach Highlands. The company, which is based in Inverness, provides bus services in Skye, Orkney, Inverness and surrounding areas. 

Marc Jackson, Unite industrial officer said: 

“Through negotiations and our mandate for industrial action, we have shifted the company significantly from its original offer. Strike action has been avoided but this pay dispute should send a warning to the company that in the future they can’t take their workers for granted and they must be properly valued.”