Following the failure of Arriva Cymru to make any significant improvement in their pay offer to workers, five weeks of strike action by drivers will now proceed on Sunday 14 November. Welsh workers were offered a 0.29p an hour increase whilst Arriva workers over the border in the North West of England have been offered 0.39p. In addition to this the current pay differential between Welsh and North West Arriva drivers is £1.81 an hour. Despite talks taking place over recent days Arriva’s intransigence has left workers with no choice but to commence their planned strike action this Sunday.

Bus services across North Wales will now face severe disruption. Four hundred Unite members working at depots including Amlwch, Bangor, Hawarden (Chester), Llandudno, Rhyl and Wrexham, will strike continuously from 06:00 on Sunday 14 November 2021 until 01:00 on Sunday 19 December.

The strike follows a ballot of Arriva drivers where 95 per cent of them voted in favour of the industrial action.

Unite General Secretary Sharon Graham said: 

“Arriva Cymru have chosen not to offer their loyal Welsh workforce the pay offer they deserve. Their failure to tackle poverty pay will now result in severe disruption to bus services and the people of North Wales. Our members are united and they will receive the full backing of Unite over the next five weeks of strike action.”

Jo Goodchild, Unite Regional Officer commented:

“Arriva Cymru have completely misjudged the level of anger there is amongst its workforce. Welsh workers are not willing to accept inferior terms and conditions to their colleagues in other parts of the UK. The company have wasted the opportunity to see sense and offer Welsh  workers a deal comparable to its operations in the rest of the UK that begins to tackle poverty pay rates.

Our members resolve is very strong and we expect this strike to be rock solid, Arriva must recognise that they are in for a long fight. The blame for the huge disruption this strike will cause lies firmly and squarely at the door of Arriva Cymru.”

Unite is dedicated to advancing the jobs, pay and conditions of its members and will fight back against any efforts to diminish workers' living standards.

ENDS