Stagecoach workers in South Yorkshire set to strike over pay

Bus services in South Yorkshire face disruption after Stagecoach workers voted in favour of strike action in a dispute over pay, a union said.

More than 560 employees, based in Sheffield, Barnsley and Rotherham, supported the action after a pay offer from the firm was rejected.

The Unite union said it would "fight to get a fair deal".

Stagecoach said it remained open to talks, and had left "no stone unturned" in attempts to reach a settlement.

According to the union, Stagecoach offered its South Yorkshire workers a 2% pay rise, which it said was well below what the firm had offered employees in other areas of the country.

Unite general secretary Sharon Graham said: "Stagecoach made profits touching £60m last year... yet it cannot make a decent offer to its staff."

Stagecoach Yorkshire's managing director, Phil Medlicott, said he was disappointed with the union's response.

He said workers had been offered a 4.5% increase to the hourly pay rate.

"We know that our employees deserve a good pay rise and we have left no stone unturned in our attempts to reach a settlement," he added.

"We remain open to continuing discussions with the union and would urge them to call off this unnecessary action."

Strikes are planned in Barnsley and Rotherham every day between 27 November and 4 December, and in Sheffield between 28 November and 5 December.

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