A BUS driver who was sacked for "being too short" has won her job back after a lengthy dispute - and a public outcry.

Tracey Scholes, who had been dismissed from Go North West - sister company to Go North East - could no longer "reach the pedals" safely after bosses repositioned the mirrors on some of its fleet. 

The 57-year-old and mother-of-three had been offered to either reduce her hours, working on a limited number of services, or face the sack after the changes came in. 

At the time Ms Scholes, who has worked at the company's Queen Road depot in Manchester for 34 years, claimed she was being "punished" for something that is not her "fault."

Read more: Go North West bus driver sacked for being 'too short' sees petition pass 27k

Meanwhile, a huge outpouring of support from the public saw signatures top 29,000 in a petition to reinstate her on the same pay and hours - and Unite the Union involved.


The Northern Echo: Picture: UNITE NORTH WESTPicture: UNITE NORTH WEST  

The driver, who is five foot tall, previously revealed how she had not slept because of "worrying over the future" and that she feared for her three children who depend on her financially.

Ms Scholes had initially offered to complete admin work or clean buses in order to make up for the lost hours - but an agreement between her and Go North West could not be reached.  

Last year, she told the Manchester Evening News that the company would not "budge" on their position, despite her desperate attempts to avoid termination of her employment. 

She previously said: "If it justifies them paying me another hour a day I'll do admin work or clean a bus.

"If they gave me that extra five hours I'd take the deal but they won't budge.

"There are simple things they can do and they are refusing. I'm sure it wouldn't break the bank for them to pay me the hours they have been for years."

The Northern Echo: Picture: UNITEPicture: UNITE

Unite the Union last week accused Go North West of "designing" the driver out of a job, saying the management only needed to find one hour of work a day to resolve the issue.

The union said she stood to lose around £230 a month if she had agreed to operate a reduced number of services where the mirrors had not been repositioned.

Dave Roberts, Unite regional officer, said: "Go Ahead Group management can end this catastrophe by reinstating Tracey on full pay and full hours.

"Management only has to find Tracey one hour of work a day."

But after making her final appeal to the company against her dismissal on January 11, it was this evening confirmed that Ms Scholes had got her job back.

Scott Maynard, group HR director at the company, said in a statement the company was "pleased" the "valued and long serving driver" was to stay with Go North West "after she decided to accept an offer to drive different buses as per a proposal made in September".

The BBC reports that Ms Scholes will start earlier to allow her to pick up a bus with wing mirrors of her preference and that her weekly hours and rate of pay will be unchanged.

He said: "We have said from the start that we wanted to keep Tracey and we are glad that she has changed her mind and decided to stay."

He added that Go North West "operates no height restrictions on recruitment, and has multiple drivers of the same height, or below, as Tracey".

"It is categorically untrue that we would, or could, have threatened anybody with dismissal on grounds of height."

The decision made its way across to the North East where Labour MP for Durham, Mary Foy tweeted her support for Ms Scholes, saying: "Once again, there is power in a union." 

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