Stagecoach bus drivers say they used to have access to dedicated toilets at the end of their routes, but these have been replaced with dirty and often broken loos
13:12, 18 Sep 2025
Bus drivers have been left "mortified" and "insulted" after their bosses circulated an internal note "encouraging" them to urinate in bottles during their shift.
Union leaders have slammed the message which was sent to Stagecoach drivers in Greater Manchester, who will walk out on strike tomorrow (Friday) in a dispute over pay.
The message, titled 'quick pit stop reminder' and sent to workers via its company intranet, 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."
Workers at the Manchester bus firm described the message as an "insult", while female drivers who have no option but to use a bathroom have been left with no adequate facilities. Stagecoach drivers say they used to have access to staff-only toilets in bus stations, which they could use at the end of each route - but these have been removed forcing them to find public toilets.
One worker 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.
“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.”
Another staff member said one of their busiest services, the 192, previously had a staffed toilet and proper facilities at the end of the route. But the facility was shelved and replaced with a toilet which is not cleaned and regularly out of order.
They 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 to say this explicitly, encouraging drivers to urinate in bottles but are not doing anything to address the problem. Women drivers have quite rightly complained and said, 'what about us?'.
"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 the Union, which has a long-running campaign for toilet dignity at work, slammed the message as "intolerable". Unite 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 says everyone has a human and legal right to access clean toilets in their place of work - yet thousands of UK workers are denied this. Unite 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 message comes as over 1,000 drivers at Stagecoach depots in Oldham, Stockport and Middleton are staging a walk out from tomorrow until Monday over pay. Workers at the firm will also strike between September 30 to October 2 as part of a co-ordinated series of industrial action with other firms in Manchester's integrated Bee Network.
The Mirror approached Stagecoach for comment.