First Bus engineers win £5K+ rise

Engineers at First Bus Glasgow called off a planned November strike after voting to accept a new offer from their employer which their union, Unite, said equates to a rise worth more than £5,000 extra a year. Over 92% of the 150 engineers who maintain and repair buses backed the new offer – which will see the hourly wage increase by a minimum of 17.6% by April 2024. The deal, which covers engineers at various depots across Greater Glasgow including Blantyre, Caledonia, Dumbarton, Overtown and Scotstoun, will initially increase wages from £15.31 to £17.50, and thereafter to a minimum of £18 per hour in April 2024. However, around 1,200 Unite bus drivers at the same employer remain in dispute over pay, and are planning to take at least a week of strike action unless they also receive an improved offer.