Huddersfield bus strikes called off after 16% pay rise offer agreed
Workers with the Unite union were due to walk out this month
Last updated 18th Feb 2025
Strike action by bus drivers working for First in Huddersfield has been called off, after members accepted an almost 16% pay rise.
Workers with the Unite union were due to walk out over what they saw as pay levels lagging behind colleagues elsewhere in West Yorkshire.
I means wages are up to £15 an hour backdated from September last year, with incremental increases over the next two years.
Drivers will also get a one off £200 payment, with pay increasing by 15.76% by April this year.
Unite general secretary Sharon Graham said: “Congratulations to First West Yorkshire’s Huddersfield drivers who won this excellent pay deal by being prepared to take strike action.
"This is exactly what Unite does: deliver improved jobs, pay and conditions for our members.”
Megan Hope, Operations Director of First Bus North & West Yorkshire, said:
“We are delighted that the generous offer in pay for our Huddersfield drivers has been accepted.
“This avoids damaging industrial action and the severe disruption this would have caused to the daily lives of our customers who rely on the bus to get to work, education and for appointments.
“We continued to talk with Unite and invited representatives to review the structure of the deal available to reach a settlement that would benefit the drivers, whilst not increasing the overall cost.
“The whole team can now focus on continuing to deliver an excellent service throughout the communities we serve in Huddersfield and the surrounding area.”