Cardiff bus drivers set to strike for three weeks

A major Welsh bus company says it is committed to further talks after 450 of its staff voted to strike for three weeks over the summer.

Unite says its members at Cardiff Bus, which includes bus drivers, will walk out from 17 August to 7 September in a row over pay.

The union says the strike action would likely impact travel arrangements for planned shows at Cardiff Castle, including Will Smith and Basement Jaxx.

Cardiff Bus said it had made a "substantial offer" to the union.

It is not clear at this stage how much disruption there would be to the company, which provides a large network of services in Cardiff and the nearby towns of Penarth and Barry.

Unite said workers at Cardiff Bus, which is owned by the city's council, were "financially struggling".

It said its members had rejected the company's latest offer, which Unite said left pay at Cardiff Bus below levels of the rest of the UK.

Timetables have also left workers unable to take proper breaks, the union said.

Unite general secretary Sharon Graham said: "Cardiff Bus has long ignored low rates of pay and our hardworking members have rightfully had enough of the situation.

"These workers provide a vital frontline service and deserve to be compensated fairly. Any disruption is the fault of Cardiff Bus and our members there have Unite's full backing every step of the way in this dispute."

Cardiff Bus said it was disappointed with the strike notice from Unite.

It said: "We have so far worked in an open and transparent fashion which has culminated in what we believe is a substantial offer of 5.86% to increase rates of pay.

"Cardiff Bus terms and conditions are considered market leading in Wales and we have been a real living wage employer for over ten years demonstrating our commitment to pay a fair wage to our workforce.

"We are committed to ongoing negotiation with Unite the union representatives in pursuit of a resolution to this dispute, so we can continue providing the best possible service to our customers."