Arriva urged to settle bus strike by paying Welsh bus drivers equally

A bus firm is being urged to settle a strike by its drivers in North Wales by paying them equally to their English colleagues.

Approximately 400 bus drivers across the region are currently on strike, as the dispute enters its third day.

Industrial action was called by the Unite union after the company refused to match its pay offer in Wales with the 39p offer it made to bus drivers in north-west England.

Llyr Gruffydd said: “This is an industrial action that need not have happened. Arriva has offered its workforce in England a 39p an hour pay rise while in Wales it’s offering 29p an hour.

“The pay differential is now £2.20 an hour between Wales and the north-west of England. Can someone in the company explain to me why they pay Welsh workers so little?

“There is no justification and it’s completely understandable that bus drivers feel they have no alternative but to take action.

“These are key workers who were lauded during lockdown as heroes. Well, let’s treat them like heroes and give them and other key workers a proper pay rise.

“I know that the strike has hit hard in terms of people being unable to get to work, to college and other journeys.

“It will be hitting businesses that rely on people travelling by bus so that’s why I’m urging Arriva Bus to get back round the table to sort this strike out as soon as possible.”

The strike has impacted on bus services across the north and is proposed to continue until December 19th unless there is a resolution.

Unite said yesterday that the industrial action would be ongoing until an acceptable pay offer is tabled.

Pay talks between union officials and Arriva were due to reconvene this morning.

Last week, a spokesperson for Arriva Buses Wales said: “We are extremely disappointed that despite extensive discussions and a number of improved offers, which would have increased our driver pay to £11.59 per hour back-paid to January 2021 and a further increase to £12.00 per hour in 2022, our customers are still facing a strike this Sunday with no Arriva Buses Wales services able to run if it goes ahead.”