There could be major disruption to bus services in and around Bristol as over 1,000 drivers, members of Unite, are being balloted for industrial action over pay at six depots.

In Bristol, the First West of England drivers work at Bristol Bus Station, Lawrence Hill and Hengrove, which provide inner-city bus routes in the city as well as services for Bristol Airport, the local universities and Amazon's Bristol warehouse. The other three depots being balloted are Weston-Super-Mare, Bath and Wells.

The dispute comes after members rejected a two-year pay deal, which would give them just £1 an hour extra of pay per hour from now until March 2026, then a 30p hourly increase from April 2026.  New starters will only be offered 50p extra on the hourly rate, which goes up by just 10p next April.

Drivers will also lose out financially, as despite the pay anniversary date being April First West of England has not committed to giving backpay for the past four months of the wage increase.

First West of England is part of First Group PLC. Last year, First Group PLC had an operating profit of £204.3m and share dividends were increased by 45% compared to the previous year.

Unite general secretary Sharon Graham said: "This is yet another example of a profitable company prioritising greed and the needs of its shareholders over hardworking members who do a difficult job driving buses every day – Unite will not stand for this.

"Any disruption is entirely the fault of First West of England and our members will have Unite's full support during this dispute."

The ballot at Lawrence Hill and Hengrove closes on 19 August while the one at Bristol Bus Station, Weston-Super-Mare, Bath and Wells closes on 21 August.

As First West of England is the main bus operator in Bristol, any industrial action is likely to be extremely disruptive with delays and cancellations of services expected.

Unite regional officer Amy Roberts said: "We appreciate local residents may be concerned to hear of potential strike action, but First West of England has failed to put forward a meaningful pay offer to our members.

"Drivers at First West of England do a vital job for the general public and deserve to be paid fairly. We urge First West of England to come back to the table with a better offer to avoid any disruption."

ENDS