FOUR thousand bus workers across Yorkshire including York will be voting on whether to take industrial action in a dispute over pay, terms and working conditions.

The Unite union has accused First Group management of taking a “more aggressive” attitude towards industrial relations and say this is linked to the recent EU referendum result.

The company, which runs most of the buses operating in York, denies the allegations and says that nothing has changed since the EU referendum.

The union says it will ballot 4,000 members employed by First Group in York, Halifax, Doncaster, Rotherham, Sheffield and Huddersfield, for industrial action including strike action.

Its regional officer Steve Clark said the ballot was in response to the “aggressive stance that the company has recently adopted towards its dedicated work force.

“There is a feeling that the uncertainty cause by last month’s Brexit vote has encouraged the management to take advantage of the current situation to roll-back on pay and conditions.

“This is not just about our members and their living standards, but in preserving quality bus services for the travelling public in Yorkshire, often in rural areas..”

The union claims wage claims were not being settled, management were delaying meeting with union reps and removing trade union offices.

Dave Alexander, First Bus regional director said: “We’ve carefully reviewed Unite’s media statement and simply cannot comprehend their rationale for balloting members. The claims are simply not true.

“Having attempted to make contact with Unite without success, I’d urge the union officials to contact our local managing directors directly, get round the table as quickly as possible so that we can better understand their concerns.

“We completely refute claims that we’re taking a more ‘aggressive stance against’ our workforce.

“Across our businesses we are committed to providing our colleagues with fair salaries and competitive terms and conditions. Nothing has changed post the recent EU Referendum in the way we treat our employees, or in our engagement strategies with colleagues through the trade unions.”

He said in the last couple of months, the company had agreed wage settlements in York and South Yorkshire that were at or above inflation level and that it had not received any official notification of a strike ballot.

The union says shop stewards told managers on Wednesday about the strike ballot.