Bus services across Scotland could face significant disruption after Stagecoach workers voted to strike in a dispute over pay and conditions.
Workers across the firm's division have supported a call for industrial action by the end of the month unles they are offered a better deal.
The Unite Scotland union said that unless there is a ‘significant shift’ in the Group’s pay offers across its Scottish divisions then strikes will be ‘inevitable’.
The workers involved in the pay dispute are drivers, engineering staff, administrative workers, and cleaners.
Any industrial action could involve disruption to the COP26 climate change conference, being held in Glasgow between 31 October and 12 November.
READ MORE: Ministers warn ScotRail COP26 strike could undermine recovery of Scotland's railways
Major bus depots including Angus, Ardrossan Ayr, Brodick, Cumbernauld, Dumfries, Dundee, Fife, Inverness, Highlands and Islands, Kilmarnock, and Perth will be affected.
Stagecoach routes run across the Islands, and into all major cities and towns from Orkney to the Borders.
Dougie Maguire, Unite regional coordinator, said: “Unite has received a resounding mandate for industrial action across the whole of Stagecoach’s operations in Scotland.
"The results should really make Stagecoach sit up and take notice that their workers feel greatly undervalued, and underappreciated.
"The workforce has continued to work professionally throughout the pandemic and they have made a huge contribution to the massive profits of the Stagecoach Group.”
Around 600 Unite members in Fife, Perth and Strathtay have also rejected the latest pay offer from Stagecoach East, which amounted to of 2.4 per cent backdated to May 2021.
The union said that Stagecoach’s latest accounts show that the group made a profit of £58.4m, and has over £875m of available liquidity.
Unite has demanded Stagecoach meet its ‘fair’ pay claim of the Retail Price Index inflation figure - which stood at 3.8% in July, plus a further 1%.
READ MORE: Ministers under fire after 'national embarrassment' COP26 ScotRail strike is confirmed
Mr Maguire added: “We want to emphasise that Unite’s ambition has been to solve this dispute amicably, and without our members having to take strike action.
"Yet, our members have had no option but to consider walking because the company hasn’t done enough talking. The company needs to make a significant shift in its pay offers to end this dispute or industrial action in the coming weeks will be inevitable.”
A Stagecoach spokesman said: "Today’s statement by Unite is puzzling. Indeed, the union has just this week recommended acceptance of our offer covering hundreds of employees in the West of Scotland and the vote on the deal is taking place on Thursday.
"Separately, in July we reached agreement with the union covering around 400 of our people at depots across the North-east of Scotland.
"We also remain in discussions with Unite regarding pay deals for the remaining depots in other parts of the country and the union has not given notice of any strike dates, which is a legal requirement in advance of any action."
"We are continuing to work constructively with Unite to deliver proposals that are fair to our people, and which also ensures the long-term sustainability of the bus network for local communities at a time when passenger numbers are significantly below the level needed to cover the costs of running services."
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