Unite members at Cardiff Bus, including bus drivers, could take industrial action over pay and conditions.
Bus services across Cardiff and parts of the Vale of Glamorgan could be severely disrupted this summer, as over 450 Unite members, including drivers, are being balloted for strike action.
The Unite Wales members work for Cardiff City Transport Services, better known as Cardiff Bus, which is the main operator of bus services in Cardiff, Wales and the surrounding area, including Barry and Penarth.
Unite says that workers are financially struggling and have rejected the company’s latest offer, which it says leaves driver pay below levels in the rest of the UK.
Unite general secretary Sharon Graham says: "Our hardworking members deserve better. Cardiff Bus is ignoring low pay rates. Workers mustn’t be left in financial misery while performing a vital frontline service.
“Unite will back our members all the way in this dispute.”
The dispute also relates to conditions, with drivers stating that timetabling issues have left workers unable to take proper breaks, resulting in fatigue, with long walking times to break facilities.
The Bill for Franchising bus services in Wales is due for Royal Assent in early 2026, with Unions warning that the low rates of pay in the sector raise fears of a race to the bottom on pay and conditions. They say that franchising will also see workers moving in and out of companies through increased TUPE, which runs the risk of creating two-tier pay structures if not challenged.
Unite says this has already been seen at Cardiff Bus, where 15 members who work on certain contracted routes affiliated with local NHS hospitals are being excluded from local agreements on terms and conditions, and are expected to work longer hours than their colleagues.
The ballot closes on 22 July. If workers vote to strike, action could start in early August. The first by members at Cardiff Bus in 10 years. Members being balloted work in driver, garage operative and engineering roles.
Unite Wales Regional Officer Alan McCarthy said: “Members in Cardiff Bus have worked tirelessly for this company, and should be properly rewarded.
"They should not find themselves struggling to make ends meet, be separated from their colleagues in negotiations, fearing a substantial loss of pay if they become sick, or face having their rest breaks jeopardised because the employer is struggling with timetables.
"We are on the verge of franchising in Wales. Workers should not have to pay for it.”
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