The T&G wants local people's involvement in their bus services

They are taking their message to the Scottish Trades Union Congress annual meeting in Dundee.

The Driving Up Standards campaign bus is in the city throughout Tuesday.

The T&G union also wants bus operators to recognise school bus drivers in the US but one major company said this was already the case.

STUC General Secretary Bill Spiers is lending his support to the Driving up Standards campaign.

We believe local bus services will be improved by being regulated by local people Mick Rix Campaign co-ordinator

The T&G union and the Service Employees International Union (SEIU) will also hold a fringe meeting at 1745 BST in the Caird Hall.

Speaking before the events, campaign co-ordinator Mick Rix said it was important to put public transport issues in the public domain, especially during the run-up to the general election.

"We believe local bus services will be improved by being regulated by local people," he said.

"That is what lies behind the campaign for quality contracts.

"Bringing proper regulation to bus drivers' hours will also lead to a radical rethink for bus services.

North American employees

"Combined with decent pay levels it could make a big contribution to reducing the turnover of staff with the huge costs that brings."

Mr Rix also referred to what he said was a campaign for 45,000 school bus drivers in the US to gain union recognition.

The companies which operate the yellow buses in the US, First Student and Durham, are owned by First Group and National Express in the UK.

Mr Rix added: "Bus workers in the UK have the right to be in a union and have their union recognised.

Trades unions represent nearly 40% of our American employees - some 13,000 of our 32,500 employees are covered by collective bargaining agreements First Group spokesman

"UK bus companies operate in unionised environment but their USA subsidiaries work against trade unions. We say that cannot be right which is why we are bringing our campaign to the STUC."

However, First Group said it was not true to say that its US subsidiaries operate in a non-union environment and it said it had been the target of an "aggressive campaign" by the SEIU and T&G.

A spokesman said: "We recognise 13 different trades unions that represent our employees across the US.

"Trades unions represent nearly 40% of our American employees - some 13,000 of our 32,500 employees are covered by collective bargaining agreements.

"This is a significantly higher percentage than for the US transport sector or for the US as a whole."

The spokesman said the SEIU "represents just 340 of our part-time school bus employees at two depots", which was less than 1% of First Group's US employees.