Cardiff Bus drivers plan 3 week strikes

Local TV

450 workers, including bus drivers are planning on walking out at the end of August for three weeks in a dispute over pay and conditions, Cardiff Bus have said they’re disappointed, and are committed to negotiations.

Transcript

00:00Cardiff has already had a busy summer of music, and that's set to continue long into the summer,

00:08with a number of high-profile gigs coming to the city, but organisers and city officials

00:13could be given an extra headache as travel disruption looks set to skyrocket more than

00:17usual. Bus workers in Cardiff are preparing for what could be one of the longest strikes

00:23in the cities seen in years, with major disruption expected across the capital during the gigs

00:28and for the rest of the commuters and passengers who use the service every day.

00:34Over 450 staff at Cardiff Bus, including drivers, are set to take three weeks of continuous strike

00:40action later this month. It starts on Sunday the 17th of August and will run until the morning of

00:45Sunday the 7th of September. The strike comes during one of the busiest periods of Cardiff's

00:51summer events calendar, with huge names like Tom Jones, Basement Jacks and Will Smith all set to

00:56perform at sold-out shows at Cardiff Castle and Buke Park. Those three events are the most notable

01:04disruptions that could be caused by the industrial action, all taking place in and around the city

01:08centre, but it isn't fully clear how much of the usual timetables will be affected by the strikes as of

01:14yet. Cardiff Bus says he's disappointed by the decision, but Unite the Union, which represents the

01:20workers, says the strike is a last resort after years of low pay and worsening conditions.

01:29Unite says workers of the publicly owned company are struggling financially, and that the most recent

01:34offer from Cardiff Bus still leaves drivers earning less than their counterparts across much of the UK.

01:39The company has offered a 5.86 percent pay rise, but staff say that doesn't go far enough to address

01:44the wider issues. Unite's General Secretary Sharon Graham says drivers have had enough, accusing the

01:50company of ignoring years of low pay, despite drivers being vital frontline workers who deserve better.

01:59But this isn't just about pay. The union says workers are also facing worse conditions on the job.

02:05Drivers are dealing with unrealistic timetables that leave them without time to rest or eat,

02:10and some face long walks just to get a brake facility, making proper breaks almost impossible.

02:17There are also concerns around sick pay. Unite says that drivers who call in sick

02:21often see their income fall dramatically, which is adding to stress and fatigue across the workforce.

02:29Cardiff Bus has responded to the strike action, saying it remains committed to negotiations with Unite.

02:34In a statement, the company said it has worked in an open and transparent way with the union,

02:39and believes its current offer is substantial.

02:44It also says that its terms and conditions are already considered market-leading in Wales,

02:49and points to its long-standing status as a real living wage employer,

02:52as proof that it takes their fair pay seriously.

Category

Transcript

Be the first to comment

Recommended