Fresh Strikes At Scarborough Bus Factory Over Pay Dispute

Operations at a Scarborough bus manufacturing plant will shut down again as four hundred workers plan further strike action over a rejected pay offer.

Bus manufacturing operations in Scarborough will shut down on the eleventh and twelfth of August as industrial action intensifies. Four hundred workers at the Alexander Dennis factory are preparing for fresh walkouts following the rejection of a recent pay offer.

A four per cent pay increase was turned down by the workforce, their union says they have seen their wages fall nearly twenty per cent behind the cost of living over the past five years. Representatives from Unite, the union representing the striking staff, highlight that years of below-inflation pay awards have severely compounded the current cost-of-living crisis for their members.

The union says that the financial pressures facing the workforce have been laid bare by recent economic figures. Between August 2021 and May 2026, the Retail Prices Index rose by approximately 35.1 per cent, which effectively pushed everyday prices up by about a third over that period. During this exact same five-year timeframe, Unite say that wages at the Scarborough plant increased by only 15.3 per cent meaning that the wages of the factory workers have fallen 19.8 per cent behind the cost of living, leaving them with a significant real-terms pay cut.

Production lines have already been heavily impacted this summer, with staff having taken twelve days of strike action since late June. Union officials have warned that further industrial action will be scheduled if a resolution is not reached soon.

Unite general secretary Sharon Graham said:

"Alexander Dennis’ owners NFI can fully afford to make a pay offer that begins to tackle the real terms pay cuts workers have experienced. These workers have Unite’s full support in striking to achieve that."

The financial position of the factory's parent company, the Canadian bus manufacturing group NFI, has been a central focus of the ongoing dispute. According to the international group's latest financial report for the second quarter of 2026, which was published last week, revenues have increased by 18.6 per cent to reach over one billion US dollars.

Year-over-year profits for the manufacturing group have climbed significantly by 46.9 per cent to 104 million US dollars. Furthermore, the parent company currently holds a global order book valued at 12.5 billion US dollars, prompting strong union claims that the firm is well-positioned to fund a higher wage settlement for its Scarborough workforce.

Unite regional officer Dan Stephens said:

"The workers’ resolve is rock solid – Alexander Dennis must put forward an offer that is acceptable to our members. This dispute will not end until this happens."

A spokesperson for Alexander Dennis said:

“Alexander Dennis is one of the top-paying employers in Scarborough and has made a very fair and above-inflation offer of a 4% pay rise.

“The UK bus manufacturing sector is under intense pressure – costs are rising and half of all new buses now come from overseas. Against this backdrop it is incredibly disappointing that our offer has been rejected.

“We are committed to working with the union and our team members to bring this matter to a resolution. We do not expect customer deliveries to be affected in the meantime.”

The firm says that across the industry UK bus manufacturers are facing increasing labour, energy and other input costs and are being undercut by manufacturers in Egypt and China, which made up 51% of new zero-emission buses in the UK in 2025.

The Company says it remains open to meaningful dialogue with the trade union, but that  it is imperative that discussions are grounded in economic and business reality and focused on long-term sustainability of the Scarborough site.

Last Month Scarborough and Whitby MP Alison Hume urged the two sides to find a solution saying:

“I recognise the concerns being raised by employees at Alexander Dennis and understand the strength of feeling among staff during this dispute.

“They play a vital role in making Scarborough a centre of excellence for bus manufacturing, and their voices deserve to be heard.

“Alexander Dennis is a major employer in Scarborough, supporting hundreds of local livelihoods and playing a vital role in our economy.

“While the company faces intense competition from overseas manufacturers, the workforce, without doubt, remains its greatest asset.”

“I urge the company and the union to continue constructive dialogue and find a solution that works for employees – therefore securing even greater opportunities moving forward for the Scarborough site.

“More broadly, I have consistently pressed for more weight to be given to social value in public procurement decisions. When taxpayers’ money is being spent on new buses, we should be supporting British buses and British jobs.”

Related Stories

• 
  Scarborough Bus Manufacturer Strike Update

  25 Jul 2026 - ​This week, around 400 workers at the Alexander Dennis factory in Eastfield near Scarborough continued a second round of strike action over an ...
• 
  MP Speaks Out as Hundreds to Strike at Scarborough Bus Factory

  14 Jul 2026 - Around 400 workers are due to walk out for a second time in weeks at the bus manufacturer Alexander Dennis' Scarborough factory in a dispute ...
• 
  Scarborough Alexander Dennis Bus Factory Workers to Strike Over Pay

  22 Jun 2026 - Around 400 workers employed by the bus manufacturer Alexander Dennis in Scarborough are preparing to take industrial action over pay, according ...
• 
  Yorkshire Coast MP Raises Chinese Bus Import Threat in Westminster

  20 Dec 2025 - Alexander Dennis, which operates a significant manufacturing site in Scarborough, is Britain's biggest bus builder and the world's largest ...
• 
  Mayor Backs Scarborough Bus Builder

  1 Oct 2025 - David Skaith says firms like Scarborough's Alexander Dennis should be at the forefront of any bus replacement programs in the UK. "I had a ...