Hundreds of bus workers at First Cymru in South Wales are
dramatically escalating their strike action in a row with their
employer over pay.
Workers are furious at the rates of pay and the attempts by First
Cymru to refuse to pay back-pay from the pay anniversary. Strikes
will now take place from 20 November continuously
until 21 January.
Drivers feel they have been left with little choice but to
escalate strike action given the refusal of First to negotiate in
a reasonable manner. The continued withholding of agreed back pay
and the £50 “bung payment” the company offered to workers to
break the own picket line has greatly increased the anger and
frustration.
Drivers are asking for a reasonable rate of pay that takes the
current cost of living and inflation into account.
Unite general secretary Sharon Graham
said: “First Cymru is trying to take industrial
relations back to the dark ages with its refusal to pay monies
owed, attempts at union-busting to get staff to cross picket
lines and all the while paying some of the lowest wages in the
industry. Unite never stands for such behaviour. First needs to
think again about how it is treating its
workforce.”
First Cymru pay just £13.40 per hour for drivers, despite the
skills needed to drive packed buses on busy roads in all weathers
while experiencing regular abuse from passengers. Cardiff Bus
drivers earn significantly more at £15 per hour, Arriva in North
Wales are also on £15 per hour base rate, Stagecoach in South
Wales are currently on £14.44 per hour, and Newport Transport are
on £14.50 per hour.
This shows First is clearly the lowest payer among the major
operators. Additionally, with recent developments they may become
the only major operator still using a “new starter
rate” with drivers having to wait a year to qualify for the
standard rate of pay. With the Real Living Wage rising to £13.45
in April 2026, First have a serious problem as drivers' pay
becomes untenable.
First Cymru is part of the First Group transport network. In the
last financial year First Group made over £200 million profit and
paid its chief executive over £3 million.
The dispute covers workers operating from depots in Swansea, Port
Talbot, Bridgend, Carmarthen, Haverford West and Ammanford
Unite regional officer Alan McCarthy added: “The
pressures of the role are clear. Driving a bus is a highly
skilled job. Yet drivers for First Cymru are treated like second
class citizens and have reached the end of their tether. They are
struggling to make ends meet and put food on the table for their
families. Unite will be backing them every step of the way in
this dispute.
“The communities of South Wales have been let down by
First who see fit to short-change their drivers and will now see
the consequences of this as our members take to the picket
line.”
