Bus and train strikes in Northern Ireland: All you need to know

No train or bus services will be running on Friday 1 December

A public transport strike on Friday is expected to cause widespread disruption across Northern Ireland. Here's what you need to know.

Who is going on strike?

Union members operating Translink bus and train services will be going on strike. That includes people running Ulsterbus, Metro and Glider services.

School support staff in the Unite union will also be on strike - classroom assistants, cleaners, caterers, and administration and transport staff.

When is the public transport strike?

It's a 24-hour strike that will last all day on Friday 1 December - from 00:01 GMT to 23:59.

But it also affects some services outside those times. The 17:00 Goldliner express from Londonderry to Belfast on Thursday evening and the 23:00 Goldliner from Dublin to Belfast were called off.

So have the 23:00 bus from Belfast to Dublin on Thursday and the 00:45 bus from Dublin to Belfast on Saturday 2 December.

Will any buses or trains be running?

All buses and trains run by Translink will be suspended, the provider confirmed on Thursday.

This includes school buses.

School buses run by the Education Authority (that's the yellow buses) have also been called off because of the separate support staff strike.

If you use a different service that is privately run it will not be affected by strikes - like a private school bus or taxi service.

Two companies operating buses between Belfast and Dublin, for example, are still running services on Friday but most have been fully booked in advance.

Can I drive in the bus lanes?

No, not unless you're driving an approved taxi or a bus.

This is despite the buses being suspended.

The Department for Infrastructure said: "It is intended that the bus lanes will remain operational during the industrial action.

"The department would encourage people to consider other sustainable travel methods, including walking, cycling and car sharing.

"The bus lanes will remain open for cyclists, permitted taxis and any operating buses."

Why are workers striking?

Unite, GMB and Siptu members all voted for a strike because they are unhappy with their pay.

They say Translink, which runs Northern Ireland's public transport, has imposed a "pay freeze".

Translink says it has not been given any budget for a pay offer so cannot offer pay rises this year. It says this would need to be resolved at Executive level.

How much do train drivers get paid?

In Northern Ireland, bus driver salaries start at £27,233 per year after training, which goes up to £27,778 after two years.

The BBC understands train drivers earn more but has not been able to confirm an exact figure.

Employees and their families get free public transport across Northern Ireland.

Are they likely to strike again in future?

Siptu regional organiser Niall McNally said this was "only the first day of planned strike action".

He said: "If further disruption in the lead up to Christmas is to be avoided, the secretary of state will need to reverse his approach, end the pay freeze policy and remove threats to public transport services in Northern Ireland."