Their union says the deal is a “fantastic win”
A CityLines bus with a ‘bus full’ sign during strikes last month(Image: Paul Gillis/Bristol Post)
Strike action by 600 bus drivers at First West of England has been called off after the workers accepted a new pay deal, union bosses have announced. Unite said its members, who caused widespread disruption during a walk-out last month, will receive an increase from £16 an hour to £16.50 backdated to April 1.
This goes up to £17 an hour backdated to September 28. The workers will then have another rise to £17.40 an hour from 1 April 2025. This works out as an 8.6 per cent pay increase over two years.
Unite general secretary Sharon Graham said: “Bus drivers do a difficult, important job for the general public and deserve to be paid appropriately. This is a fantastic win for workers at First West of England, who stuck firmly together throughout the industrial action to get the pay offer they deserved.
“It is yet more proof that there is power in a union.” Unite said a major source of contention throughout the pay dispute was First West of England not committing to paying drivers backpay.
To address this, workers at the City Line will get £250 non-consolidated backpay and their rest day working has gone up by 50p to £1.51 per hour. Drivers at the City Line had previously walked out from 19 to 22 September 19 to 22 causing disruption for both bus users and motorists.
The bus drivers work for the Lawrence Hill and Hengrove Bus depots, which service Bristol city centre, Bristol Airport and Amazon’s Bristol warehouse and local schools and universities. Unite regional officer Amy Roberts said: “We are very pleased with the outcome of this industrial action, as it has led to a fantastic new deal for the bus drivers, who do a very hard job.”
The two-week long strike was originally planned to commence today (Wednesday, October 1) but this was suspended last week as drivers considered the revised offer from their employer.