Planned strike action at bus company First Cymru across south and west Wales has been partly suspended after the company made a new pay offer.
The strikes were originally set to begin on 22 October and take place in three weekly waves, running from 22–25 October, 30 October–2 November, and 5–8 November.
However, the first week of strike action has now been called off to allow a ballot to take place on the revised and improved offer from the company. The remaining strike dates at the end of October and early November are still expected to go ahead if the offer is rejected by union members.
Unite, the union representing the workers, said the decision to suspend next week’s action was an act of goodwill to allow members time to vote.
Unite regional coordinating officer Alan McCarthy said: “Following our decision to take industrial action, First Cymru has come back with a new and amended pay offer for our members. As an act of goodwill we have called off planned strike action next week to allow a ballot to take place. If the offer is rejected by members then remaining strike action will continue as planned.”
The dispute involves hundreds of drivers, engineers, cleaners and office staff based at depots in Swansea, Port Talbot, Bridgend, Carmarthen, Haverfordwest and Ammanford. Unite says the disagreement centres on pay and conditions, claiming that earlier offers failed to properly backdate pay and that First Cymru’s wages are among the lowest in the bus sector.
First Cymru previously said it was disappointed that its earlier above-inflation pay offer had been turned down but confirmed it remains open to ongoing discussions with the union.
If union members vote to reject the latest proposal, strikes will resume from 30 October, potentially causing widespread disruption across south and west Wales. The company has said it will share full details of affected services in advance if further industrial action goes ahead.
