Coach company gives staff 25% pay increase to cope with cost of living crisis

A transport company which has been impacted by Brexit, Covid, fuel costs and energy bills, and the war in Ukraine is putting workers first as business gets back to normal.

Staff at Readybus, who are facing their own financial impacts of fuel and energy, have received a 25% pay increase in the last year alone.

The coach hire and transportation business increased pay twice in 2022, as it sought to support staff coping with increasing bills and the cost of living crisis.

Co-owner Matt Clayson, who has worked in the industry for almost 20 years, says it’s been a some of the toughest years for coach operators he’s ever seen.

He said: “The coach industry has been taking a real battering for the last six years, first with Brexit, then Covid and now fuel and energy costs spiralling, partly due to the war in Ukraine.

“We’ve been hugely impacted, but while other industries have been given seemingly unlimited support, we’ve had very little and feel like we’ve been forgotten.

“As a business Readybus has managed to navigate the recent storms thanks to our staff, and as they face increasing difficulties and stresses caused by the cost of living crisis, we had to act to help them.

“A 25% pay rise since September 2021 is definitely helping, and it has helped us retain the family bond we have within the business.

“Without colleagues there is no business and we hope others follow our lead to show how we can all help each other cope with whatever the world throws at us.”

Matt continues to hold his coach driving licence and can often be found behind the wheel of one of the group’s 64 vehicles, ensuring he knows first-hand the issues facing Readybus colleagues and also the UK coach industry in 2022 and beyond.

He added: “Times are tough for everyone, we’ve seen a number of coach operators go out of business in the last few years, so we should all stick together to tackle whatever is thrown at us next.

“Our drivers and coaches continue to take children to and from school, on trips and ensure passengers, including those on business or sporting trips arrive safely and on time.

“Business like ours are provided much-needed jobs and we want to continue doing so, but as with other operators and companies, we need to know we’re getting the right support to safeguard those jobs.”