DRIVERS at Stagecoach in west Scotland will be balloted for strike action after overwhelmingly rejecting a pay offer that puts profits before people, Unite said today.

A consultative ballot of 500 drivers based at depots in Ayr, Arran, Ardrossan, Dumfries, Kilmarnock and Stranraer found 99 per cent had no truck with the paltry one-year 4 per cent offer tabled by the firm, whose post-tax profits more than doubled from £1.3 million in 2023 to £2.99m last year.

As Unite launch the ballot, general secretary Sharon Graham warned: “If they don’t quickly change direction, then any strike action impacting bus services will be due to them putting profits before people.”

“The drivers are on one of the lowest rates of pay across the whole Stagecoach group,” said Unite industrial officer Siobhan McCready. “This is not an easy job, and the drivers deserve a pay rise reflecting the responsibilities and challenges of the role.

“If there is no movement on pay, then strike action will be inevitable and that will be on the heads of the company.”

A Stagecoach West Scotland spokesperson confirmed that “pay discussions are currently ongoing with Unite.”