Cheltenham Festival racegoers face disruption after bus drivers vote to strike

Racegoers travelling to the Cheltenham Festival next month will face major disruption from a month-long strike by bus drivers.

More than 380 drivers employed by Stagecoach West and based in Gloucestershire and Wiltshire will strike five days before the festival, after Unite the Union members voted in favour of industrial action.

The union, which is combatting what it describes as "chronic low pay", said the strike would cause considerable disruption as the company provided a frequent shuttle bus service from the station and town centre to the racecourse each day of the festival.

Unite members are seeking a pay increase in line with the current RPI inflation rate of 7.8 per cent but the union's general secretary Sharon Graham said Stagecoach had "failed" to make a fair offer.

Regional officer Shevaun Hunt said: "Our members are taking strike action as a last resort because Stagecoach has refused to listen. It will inevitably cause severe disruption throughout Gloucestershire and Wiltshire, and especially during the Cheltenham Festival.

"Even now strike action could be avoided if Stagecoach West was prepared to return to the negotiating table and make an offer that meets the drivers’ expectations."

The strike affects services operating from depots in Bristol, Cheltenham, Coalway, Gloucester, Stroud and Swindon.

Responding to the proposed strike, a Stagecoach West spokesperson said: "Around 40 per cent of bus drivers in these areas are not members of Unite and have not voted for strike action.

"In recent negotiations, Unite has been demanding pay increases of up to 22 per cent, which would put the viability of many community bus routes at risk at the very time they are already under strain.

"We're committed to giving our people affordable pay rises, on top of the increases we have given over the past two years during the difficult period of the pandemic.

"We're expecting to hold further talks with Unite in the week ahead and would urge them to work constructively with us to reach a solution that's in the collective best interests of everyone ahead of the Cheltenham Festival."

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