‘If Stagecoach had even the slightest care for the welfare of its staff it would be making sure there are facilities throughout a route so bottles aren’t needed. Its attitude towards its staff is disgusting’A stagecoach bus(Image: Manchester Evening News)

Raging union bosses have hit out over an ‘insulting’ message sent to bus drivers in Greater Manchester encouraging them to urinate into bottles as schedules are ‘tight’.

Unite also angrily criticised bus firm Stagecoach for not providing adequate toilet facilities for its staff. Women drivers, meanwhile, said they were disgusted at the memo sent by Stagecoach to its workers via the company intranet, the union added.

Unite revealed the contents of the message on Thursday, as up to two thirds of Greater Manchester’s public bus network is set to be off the road tomorrow – Friday – in the first of a series of planned strikes by drivers over pay.

Stagecoach, which operates here under the Bee Network, told its drivers that if they have to wee into a bottle, make sure they take the bottle away with them, the union said.

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Unite said the message was titled ‘quick pit stop reminder’ and said: “If nature calls while you’re on the go and you have to use a bottle for a quick comfort break (we get it – tight schedules happen), please make sure to take it with you and dispose of it properly.

“Let’s keep our buses fresh, clean and respectful for everyone – including your fellow drivers.”

Unite said it had long campaigned for ‘toilet dignity at work’ and said the law states employers must provide ‘adequate’ toilet facilities.

Stagecoach(Image: Julian Hamilton/Daily Mirror)

General secretary Sharon Graham said: “Stagecoach is one of the biggest bus operators in the country and there is no excuse for sending an insulting message like this to staff.

“While bus firms such as Stagecoach turn over huge profits, their workers don’t only have to contend with low pay and a lack of toilets, they have to contend with their employer blaming them for a situation not of their own making and treating them with contempt. This is intolerable and Unite will not stand by and allow our members to be insulted. We have long campaigned for workers to have proper access to toilets – any employer who does not do this, will be exposed.”

Unite said female bus drivers at the firm have said the message does not address their needs – as they have no option of being able to urinate anywhere other than a bathroom.

One said: “Toilet facilities have always been an issue for female drivers and Stagecoach needs to work at getting extra facilities for everyone. Seeing that message made me feel mortified as encouraging workers to wee in a bottle means anyone could see them do that.

The Unite union has hit out(Image: PA)

“Stuff like this shouldn’t be happening in this day and age. The company putting messages out like this is unacceptable, especially as it is constantly on your case to get routes done.”

Unite said the most frequent service in Greater Manchester, the 192 through Stockport, used to have a staffed toilet and proper facilities at the end of the route, but that’s been closed and the replacement rarely works.

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Another worker said: “We have long been pushing for Stagecoach to recognise that schedules we are working under don’t allow enough time for comfort breaks, but it is focused on running the buses as close to optimum running time as possible rather than improving conditions for us.

“The message has caused a lot of anger as our employer recognises scheduling is too tight and say this explicitly, are encouraging drivers to urinate in bottles but are not doing anything to address the problem. Women drivers have quite rightly complained.

“Receiving this is especially galling after Stagecoach closed our proper facilities and haven’t left us with an adequate replacement. It feels like Stagecoach is putting profits over people.”

Unite’s national officer for passenger transport, Wayne King, said: “Stagecoach clearly knows there’s not enough facilities. It knows drivers are being forced to use bottles. It knows the schedules are too tight for them to have proper toilet breaks.

“If Stagecoach had even the slightest care for the welfare of its staff it would be making sure there are facilities throughout a route so bottles aren’t needed. Its attitude towards its staff is disgusting.”

The Manchester Evening News has contacted Stagecoach for comment.