Strikes: Pay reduction call over cancelled Senedd meeting

PCS union members picketing the Senedd's Ty Hywel building entrance in Cardiff Bay

The Conservatives have urged Labour and Plaid Senedd members to forego a day's pay as a meeting in the chamber was cancelled due to strike action.

Wednesday's chamber and committee business was moved in response to a strike by the PCS civil service union.

It followed a vote in the cross-party Senedd Business Committee.

Conservative Senedd group leader Andrew RT Davies said the rival parties should be in Cardiff Bay "working to end the strikes" not "taking a day off".

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A spokesperson for the Senedd Commission, in charge of the day-to-day running of the institution, said: "Due to strike action on 1 February, the Business Committee voted in favour of Senedd business being rearranged.

"Agenda items will be reallocated to other meetings and so no business will be lost."

A Plaid Cymru source said the party was "proud and unambiguous in our support of all workers who are striking today and throughout this winter as a last resort, due to years of Tory cuts and spiralling costs in inflation".

'Virtue signalling'

The Welsh Conservatives emphasised that they would be in Cardiff Bay holding a meeting.

Mr Davies predicted people in Wales "will not be impressed with Labour and Plaid politicians downing tools for the day when the Welsh NHS, education system, and economy are in dire need of attention".

"Senedd members should be debating and scrutinising - instead these parties are taking a day off when they should be working to end the strikes they have the power to resolve," he said.

"As a price for their virtue signalling, Labour and Plaid should forego their pay for the day - otherwise where is the solidarity they claim when workers lose out on their wages?"

The Plaid Cymru source dismissed the criticism.

"The Tories with their cuts and chaos, crashed the economy, and it's hard-working Welsh people who are paying the price.

"Plaid Cymru will continue to stand up for workers everywhere by calling for both the Welsh and Westminster governments to pay workers fairly and bring about an end to the disputes."

Welsh Labour has also been asked to respond to the Conservative leader's comments.