The bus depot at the Aberdeen headquarters of Scottish transport giant FirstGroup will be hit by strike action during two spells in March in a dispute over pay, a union said today.
Workers who clean and refuel the buses – employees of service contractor Bidvest Noonan – are earning “well below” the new minimum wage due to be introduced in April, Unite the Union said.
Workers rejected 2% pay offer
The Scottish bus division of FirstGroup said it was helping contractor “find an agreement that is mutually beneficial to all”.
About 100 Bidvest Noonan staff at First Bus depots in Aberdeen and Glasgow are ready to strike after rejecting a 2% increase backdated to 2022 at a time the broader cost of living (as measured by the retail price index), has hit 13.4%, Unite said.
Bidvest Noonan’s pay offer is totally unacceptable. This company is making millions and can well afford to pay fairly.”
Sharon Graham, general-secretary, Unite the Union.
Strike action is due to take place at both depots from 3pm on Wednesday March 1 to 6am on Saturday March 4.
Workers in Aberdeen are expected to resume their industrial action at the First Bus base on King Street at 6am on Saturday March 11.
According to Unite, buses may have to be taken off the roads for safety and re-charging reasons.
Sharon Graham, general secretary, Unite, said: “Bidvest Noonan’s pay offer is totally unacceptable. This company is making millions and can well afford to pay fairly. It has no excuse for not doing so.
“Quite simply, these buses couldn’t operate without our members who have Unite’s full support as they stand up for better jobs, pay and conditions.”
Will bus services be affected?
Unite industrial officer Wendy Dunsmore added: “The strike action by Unite members working for Bidvest Noonan will lead to First Bus having to take buses off the roads in Aberdeen and Glasgow.
“The 2% offer backdated to last year is totally unacceptable to our members.
“This dispute is a problem of First Bus’s own making because they outsourced these workers years ago. Unite is demanding they be brought back in-house and paid fairly.”
Aberdeen work outsourced three years ago
First Bus outsourced the work in Glasgow in 2016, with Aberdeen following suit in 2020.
According to Unite, wages at London, Belfast and Dublin-based Bidvest Noonan start at £9.62 per hour.
From April the national minimum wage will be £10.42 per hour.
“Bidvest Noonan’s pay offer is totally unacceptable. This company is making millions and can well afford to pay fairly. It has no excuse for not doing so.” @UniteSharon #JobsPayConditionshttps://t.co/bBODJz5goP
— Unite the union: join a union (@unitetheunion) February 21, 2023
Accounts lodged at Companies House show Bidvest Noonan (UK) – part of The Bidvest Group (UK) – made pre-tax profits of £13.3 million during the 12 months to June 30 2022, up from £7.3 million the year before.
Revenue at the firm surged to £397.2 million in the latest period, from £168.2m previously.
Bidvest Noonan failed to respond to a request for comment.
A spokesman for First Bus Scotland said: “We understand Bidvest Noonan workers have been balloted in relation to strike action.
“First Bus is assisting Bidvest Noonan to find an agreement that is mutually beneficial to all.”
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