A major bus manufacturer that saw hundreds of staff walk out has said it is committed to resolving a dispute with workers in North Yorkshire.
This week, around 400 workers at the Alexander Dennis factory in Eastfield near Scarborough continued a second round of strike action over an ongoing wage dispute.
Workers have rejected a four per cent offer from the company, with trade union Unite saying the cost-of-living crisis had been compounded for them “by years of sub-par pay increases” and has said that further action will be scheduled if the dispute is not resolved.
The company described the rejection of its pay offer as “incredibly disappointing” but added that it is still committed to resolving the dispute.
A spokesperson 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 per cent pay rise.
“The UK bus manufacturing sector is under intense pressure – costs are rising and half of all new buses now come from overseas.”
Speaking to the Local Democracy Reporting Service (LDRS), they added:
“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 strikes took place from June 25 to July 1 and July 16 to July 20.
Unite said wages in the last five years had increased by about 15 per cent, below the rate of inflation, which had been about 35 per cent, going by the Retail Price Index (RPI).
Unite general secretary Sharon Graham said:
“These workers have seen their pay plummet in real terms. Enough is enough. Alexander Dennis must come back with a pay offer that matches their hard work and commitment. Strikes will not end until that happens.”
Unite regional officer Dan Stephens said:
“Alexander Dennis is entirely responsible for the disruption at its Scarborough factory.
“It could put forward an acceptable offer but is choosing not to. That is the only way this dispute will end.”
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