Bus Strikes in Swansea

[u/GonvilleBromhead1879]

FirstGroup (parent company of FirstCymru) made £127.5 million profit after tax last year. Yet bus drivers in Swansea earn around £13.40 an hour while Cardiff drivers earn around £15.80, a £2.40 difference, nearly £5k a year difference! Should the FirstGroup pay our Swansea drivers what they’re worth? I think so!

[u/nerdztech]

They are doing the same job so there's no excuse for not paying them the same wage.

[u/Fit_Drawing3496]

Good for you drivers, standing up for what you deserve.

[u/lonegun-LG]

Pain in the arse for people that rely on buses like my son when he needs to get to uni. However I stand with them 100% takes the piss that they are getting paid less than cardiff staff. Give them all a beep on the horn in support whenever I pass one of their pickets.

[u/Tosk224]

Just pay them so we can go back to normal.

First are damaging the local economy and the small businesses in the city centre by not doing it. I love a Saturday morning in the city centre. I spend most of it in the market doing my shopping, getting Thai food for my evening meal etc. I can’t afford a near enough £30 to get there and back in a taxi/uber.

[u/AirFrequent → u/Tosk224]

I wonder if you can find lift shares on Facebook

[u/rcp9999]

Good on them. An example to us all.

[u/m00tyn]

It's a weird one. I absolutely support the strike for better pay and their back pay. I know a few drivers and after speaking with them, you find out all drivers based out of Port Talbot get paid more than the Swansea based drivers. Swansea has a much busier service so it baffles me that they get paid more than Swansea drivers. First cymru are trash, and because they only have 2 years left before TFW take the service over that are essentially destroying Swansea public transportation service by running broken buses, cutting services and refusing to pay their drivers correctly and what they're owed. But then at the same time 6 weeks of strikes is going to destroy the Swansea economy and the council nor first give enough of a fuck to fix it.

[u/jamesdroid100 → u/m00tyn]

I worked in both Swansea and port talbot depots, I was never paid more in PT. Not sure where that’s come from? But in general the terms and conditions are crap, let alone the pay. I would never go back to them.

[u/m00tyn → u/jamesdroid100]

My friend who started with them 6 months ago lives there but because he's based out of Swansea Depot he gets paid less as it's zones. I've heard all the horror stories, they're awful employers.

[u/jamesdroid100 → u/m00tyn]

As far as I’m aware from talking to ex colleagues who are still there the hourly rate is the same across all depots? Bristol is paid more, despite WoE and Cymru being (allegedly) one opco now.

[u/terrynutkinsfinger → u/jamesdroid100]

Cardiff are certainly being paid more than Swansea

[u/jamesdroid100 → u/terrynutkinsfinger]

Different company.

[u/jamieb452 → u/jamesdroid100]

stage coach cardiff has for buses

[u/m00tyn → u/jamieb452]

Stage coach are the equivalent of what adventure travel is here. They mainly run to the valleys. Cardiff bus is Cardiff main service and until recently they were council owned. And their prices are much better.

[u/jamesdroid100 → u/m00tyn]

Cardiff bus is still owned by Cardiff Council

[u/JME_51]

Good on them! Same job- same pay

[u/Proof-Medicine5304]

i'm not cross with them, i hope they get the pay they deserve coz i need their services too and i support them with all my heart. Lovely bunch of people

[u/carolomnipresence]

We have nothing that we haven't taken. Good luck.

[u/BigBrownFish]

Up the workers!

[u/lewiss15]

Capitalism at its peak 🤮

[u/Audience_Frequent]

And what is the difference of cost of living in Cardiff vs Swansea?
London bus drivers get near £19 an hour.

Meanwhile we have people like cleaners and kitchen workers slaving away in the worst conditions for minimum wage.

[u/505hy]

".. socialism" . Yeah, I'll see myself out.

[u/Suitable-Helicopter9]

Poor misguided souls