Cardiff bus fight for pay and conditions

Bus workers on Cardiff buses have agreed to suspend their planned three weeks of continuous strike action later this month. They are voting on a new offer in their ongoing dispute over pay and conditions.

Over 450 members of Unite, including bus drivers had called a strike from 17 August until 7 September at publicly-owned Cardiff City Transport Services Ltd (more commonly known as Cardiff Bus). They rejected the an offer from the company leaving driver pay below levels in the rest of Britain.

Struggling

Workers at Cardiff Bus are struggling financially and are also fighting for improved conditions. Timetables mean that workers are unable to take proper breaks. Required breaks are disrupted if services run late. The employer has not ensured adequate arrangements to rest and eat properly between journeys.

Strikes are now on hold while the Unite members consider the improved pay offer put forward on 12 August to. The company is also proposing changes to conditions including longer breaks.

Franchising

A bill to franchise bus services in Wales is due for Royal Assent in early 2026. Low rates of pay in the sector raise fears of a race to the bottom on pay and conditions. Franchising will also see workers moving companies through increased TUPE. This will create two-tier pay structures if not challenged.

This has already happened at Cardiff Bus. Drivers who work on certain contracted routes are excluded from local agreements on terms and conditions. They are expected to work longer hours than their colleagues.

Unite regional officer Alan McCarthy said: “We don’t tolerate this in our publicly owned rail network. Why should we tolerate this in our publicly owned bus companies? We urge Cardiff Bus and other key stakeholders across the bus sector to pay attention to what workers are telling them as we approach franchising. Bus workers have been undervalued for far too long.”