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Cardiff Bus workers accept new pay deal

Friday, 29 August 2025 15:14

By Gareth Joy X @lookoutwales2

Cardiff Bus workers have voted in favour of a new pay deal, averting the threat of strike action.

450 Unite union members were due to stage a series of walkouts from next Tuesday in a dispute over pay and conditions.

But plans for a three-week strike were suspended earlier this month while a ballot was held on a new deal, including a backdated pay increase of 5.86%.

It also includes further improvements to sick pay - including a one-day unpaid wait and long-term pay kicking at four weeks at a higher rate.

Cardiff Bus has confirmed all of its services, including routes covering the Barry and Penarth areas, will continue to operate as normal.

Managing director Craig Hampton-Stone said: "We are delighted that this dispute has been resolved through constructive dialogue."

"The agreement reflects our determination to support our employees while ensuring Cardiff Bus continues to provide a reliable and dependable service for our city."

"We are grateful to Unite for engaging in this process and to our customers for their patience and understanding during this period of uncertainty."

Further terms of the new deal include extra walking time to guarantee a 45-minute break for drivers along with a paid 15 minute break for garage workers.

Workers on contracted routes who had different terms and conditions and were expected to work longer hours than their colleagues will also now be covered by existing agreements.

Unite general secretary Sharon Graham said: "Our members at Cardiff Bus have fought to improve and protect pay and conditions not just for themselves, but for the long-term benefit of the sector in Wales."

"This shows the power of a union and the hardworking reps should be applauded for their actions. This is yet another example of Unite winning for workers up and down the country. We will always battle to improve members' pay and conditions."

But Unite's chief Welsh officer said he was disappointed that the union had come "so close to strike action" in order to achieve "very reasonal goals".

They're also concerned about the impact on pay rates of the upcoming bill to franchise bus services across Wales, which is due to receive Royal Assent next year.

Alan McCarthy said: "Our members at Cardiff Bus have shown that workers must be prepared to act in order to achieve better pay and conditions, particularly in the bus sector."

"Unite members stood firm in their fight for fair pay, but also to ensure no colleague was left with inferior working conditions, this is true trade union values in action."

"It's disappointing that we had to come so close to strike action in order to achieve these very reasonable goals, but as we approach franchising it stands as a stark reminder of the need to standardise pay and conditions across the sector."

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