Loughborough bus drivers get £1000 pay rise

Last month more than 50 Loughborough Kinchbus drivers voted to strike over their pay.

Kinchbus has announced that it's giving its bus drivers a pay rise of £1,100 per year, for a driver working a standard 39-hour week.

The move to increase driver’s basic pay from £10.64 per hour to £11.20 is a 5.3 per cent increase and will be backdated to the beginning of October.

Jeff Counsell, Kinchbus managing director, said: “This pay rise will ensure Kinchbus is an attractive place to join, to drive and to stay. As well as competitive pay, working for Kinchbus brings many benefits such as a pension, training and discounts."

“We would like our customers to be reassured that we are tackling the driver shortage which will be resolved by our ongoing proactive recruitment and retention measures and without the prospect of industrial action by unions.”

Last month more than 50 Loughborough Kinchbus drivers voted to strike over their pay, however, this has now been called off after a successful deal between the union Unite and Kinchbus.

Sharon Graham, Unite general secretary, said: “This is a fantastic victory by members of Unite. By standing together they have ensured Kinchbus tabled an inflation-busting pay deal which was much improved on the initial offer. Unite is now wholly dedicated to defending members’ jobs, pay and conditions. That is beginning to have an effect, as the Kinchbus deal demonstrates.”