STAGECOACH East workers in Fife have "emphatically" rejected the latest pay offer in a row which saw strike action being overwhelmingly backed.

Unite Scotland have said around 600 Stagecoach East workers across Fife, Perth and Strathtay have knocked back the latest offer from the company.

In Fife, 440 staff turned down the offer of 2.4 per cent backdated to May 2021 by 90 per cent.

Unite has acknowledged that while the latest offer represented a ‘step forward’ it maintains that there is ‘some distance to go’ to meeting the pay demands of its members.

The trade union has warned that unless there is a "significant shift" in the Stagecoach's pay offers across its Scottish divisions, then strike action by the end of October will be "inevitable".

Unite has demanded Stagecoach meet its ‘fair’ pay claim of the Retail Price Index inflation figure (3.8 per cent - July) plus one per cent.

Stagecoach East workers also overwhelmingly backed taking strike action last week in the pay dispute, while voting on the latest offer from the company.

Fife workers backed strike action by 93.4 per cent in a 74.4 per cent ballot turnout.

Dougie Maguire, Unite regional coordinator, said: “Unite has received a resounding mandate for industrial action across the whole of Stagecoach’s operations in Scotland.

"The results should really make Stagecoach sit up and take notice that their workers feel greatly undervalued, and underappreciated. The workforce has continued to work professionally throughout the pandemic and they have made a huge contribution to the massive profits of the Stagecoach Group.

“We want to emphasise that Unite’s ambition has been to solve this dispute amicably, and without our members having to take strike action. Yet, our members have had no option but to consider walking because the company hasn’t done enough talking.

"The company needs to make a significant shift in its pay offers to end this dispute or industrial action in the coming weeks will be inevitable.”

A Stagecoach East Scotland spokesperson said: “We are disappointed at the result of the most recent vote on our proposals.

"Our priority is to agree an offer that is fair to our people, and which also ensures the long-term sustainability of the bus network for local communities.

"We want to work together with the union on a deal which will achieve both of these objectives at a time when passenger numbers using the country's bus networks are significantly below the level needed to cover the costs of running services.

"We are committed to seeking an agreement and remain open to continuing discussions with the union."

One driver from Stagecoach, who wished to remain anonymous, told the Press that strike action was the "single goal" of Unite, and while some drivers were looking to accept the latest pay offer, a "far greater element" were "looking to cause as much disruption as possible and it is their belief that they have the company on the ropes and that the company will just bow to their demands".

Stagecoach did not respond to the Press' request for comment, while Unite issued a statement highlighting the outcome of the strike ballot.