A MAJOR row has erupted after Stagecoach cancelled bus drivers’ holidays during looming strike action, prompting the Unite union to threaten legal proceedings.
Hundreds of Unite members across the south and west of Scotland are preparing to walk out for seven days across May in a bitter pay dispute.
In a move branded a "significant escalation," Unite accused Stagecoach of scrapping previously agreed annual leave, vowing to seek a court order to halt the company's actions, according to the BBC.
Stagecoach defended the decision, citing rising sickness levels and the need to maintain "dependable services" for passengers.
BBC Scotland News has reported seeing a letter from Stagecoach to an employee cancelling two weeks of approved holiday, warning that non-attendance could be treated as gross misconduct, potentially leading to disciplinary action.
Unite industrial officer Siobhan McCready slammed the company’s move, saying: "All previously agreed annual leave for drivers has been cancelled with immediate effect by Stagecoach West Scotland.
"Family holidays booked for the next few weeks will be impacted, but so will attending hospital appointments and taking family to these appointments.
"This is a significant escalation taken by the company when they should be working with Unite to put a fairer pay offer on the table to resolve the dispute."
The pay battle centres around a 4% offer for about 500 drivers across depots in Ayr, Arran, Ardrossan, Dumfries, Kilmarnock and Stranraer — an offer Unite has dismissed as "unacceptable."
Stagecoach, however, insists its offer would deliver a more than 15% rise over two years, on top of a previous two-year deal that boosted basic pay by 13%.
Strikes are scheduled for May 2, May 6, May 9, May 12, May 16, May 19, and May 23, with widespread disruption expected.
According to the BBC, Stagecoach has said that it provided "more notice than legally required" when cancelling drivers’ leave.
A spokesperson for Stagecoach Scotland said: “Due to increasing sickness levels and the importance of providing dependable services to our customers, it has been necessary to postpone holiday blocks.
"Any drivers affected have been given more notice than legally required.
"The company reserves the right to cancel leave to ensure it meets its service delivery obligations to keep the communities it serves connected.”
