A series of strikes by 450 Unite members at Cardiff City Transport Services, better known as Cardiff Bus, that would have had a huge impact on bus services in the Welsh capital have been called off after workers voted to accept improvements to pay and conditions.
Workers voted to accept a new deal, which gives a 5.86 per cent backdated pay rise on all elements of pay including sick pay. There have also been further improvements to sick pay, with the three unpaid waiting days for sickness reduced to one day and long-term sick pay kicking in at four weeks at a higher rate, back paid to cover the short-term sick period.
There were also previously issues at Cardiff Bus with driver fatigue and stress as workers struggled to take proper breaks, with sometimes long walking times to break facilities. The new offer from the employer included an additional five minutes walking time to guarantee a 45 minute break for drivers as well as a paid 15 minute break for garage workers which they did not have before.
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.”
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.
Should strikes have gone ahead they would have been extremely disruptive, as Cardiff Bus, which is publicly-owned, is the main operator of bus services in Cardiff and the surrounding area including Barry and Penarth.
The Bill for Franchising bus services in Wales is due for Royal Assent in early 2026 and the low rates of pay in the sector raised fears from Unite of a race to the bottom on pay and conditions when this goes through. Unite will never allow bus workers to pay for franchising through low pay and poor conditions.
Unite Wales regional officer 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.”
