Around 400 workers at the Alexander Dennis bus manufacturing plant in Scarborough are set to strike for a week after rejecting a four per cent pay offer.
Around 400 workers employed by the bus manufacturer Alexander Dennis in Scarborough are preparing to take industrial action over pay, according to the Unite union.
Unite has confirmed that its members at the Scarborough facility will stage a week-long walkout after staff formally rejected a four per cent pay offer from the company.
The union asserts that the current cost-of-living crisis has been heavily compounded for the workforce by years of sub-par pay increases.
According to figures released by Unite, the spending power of the striking workers’ wages has fallen by approximately 20 per cent since 2020.
The union says data covering the period between August 2021 and May 2026 shows that the Retail Prices Index rose by approximately 35.1 per cent, indicating that general prices increased by about a third over that specific timeframe.
Unite says that during that exact same period, wages at the Alexander Dennis factory in Scarborough increased by only 15.3 per cent. Unite calculates that this means workers' wages have fallen 19.8 per cent behind the true cost of living.
In response to the situation, the workforce was balloted, and the results showed that 81 per cent of those who voted were in favour of taking strike action.
The scheduled strikes will take place from the 25th of June through to the 1st of July. The union has warned that this industrial action will completely shut down the factory’s operations.
Furthermore, union representatives have made it clear that further strike dates will be scheduled if the ongoing dispute is not resolved to the satisfaction of their members.
Unite general secretary Sharon Graham said:
"These workers have suffered a dramatic drop in their real terms pay. They have had enough. Alexander Dennis needs to put forward a pay increase that reflects their loyalty, hard work and patience. They have Unite’s total support in taking strike action to achieve that."
Despite the overwhelming vote for strike action and the looming operational shutdown, the union has indicated that the company still has an opportunity to resolve the situation and avert the walkout.
Unite regional officer Dan Stephen said:
"There is still time for Alexander Dennis to avoid industrial action and the disruption it will cause, but that will require an offer our members can accept. Otherwise, this dispute will continue to escalate."
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.
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