City bus strike held by drivers

The strike means about 300 buses are not operating in Sheffield

Bus drivers in Sheffield have staged the first of four planned strikes in the city.

About 750 workers were involved in the action which started on Friday morning, bus operator First said. All services have now resumed.

A walkout by drivers in Doncaster and Rotherham was cancelled on Thursday after First offered a 3% pay rise.

But the Unite union said the strike in Sheffield was going ahead because of a separate row over disciplinary issues.

Further strikes are planned for Sunday, Monday and 31 October.

'More important'

First said it was disappointed drivers in Sheffield had decided to go ahead with the industrial action, which means none of the company's commercial bus services are running in the city.

A First spokesman said about 300 buses had not been on the roads as a result of the strike, which is centred on disciplinary issues at Sheffield's Olive Grove bus depot.

Unite said the issues included grievances over the way the company handled workers who had taken sickness leave and First's "attitude to disciplinary action".

The action has caused a lot of inconvenience Brandon Jones, First South Yorkshire

A spokesman for the union said: "The feeling is that this issue is even more important than the one of pay.

"We really do need to get this sorted out."

First South Yorkshire's deputy managing director Brandon Jones said: "We have a South Yorkshire directive and grievance procedure and the trade union will accept that has not been broken."

He added the union's concerns involved specific individuals and issues, and First had "made certain concessions".

"The action has caused a lot of inconvenience," he said.

The new pay deal, which offers drivers a 3% rise by 2010, will be put to union members in a ballot next week.

The action in Sheffield on Sunday coincides with the city's Fright Night Halloween party which usually attracts more than 30,000 people to the city centre.

First said it would be able to operate a limited bus service for the event.