Bus passengers are being warned over potential disruption as drivers ballot to take strike action.

More than 1,000 drivers working for First West of England could take action after rejecting an "unsatisfactory" pay offer.

If the members of Unite Union, which has urged the company to come back with an improved offer, vote to strike then services in Bristol, Bath, Weston-super-Mare and Wells could be affected.

First Bus West of England's managing director Doug Claringbold said: "Our above-inflation pay offer reflects the value we put on colleagues and demonstrates our commitment to protecting staff from the rising cost of living - even in the challenging financial environment we operate in."  He added that the operator remains open to having "constructive discussions" with drivers to reach a "fair resolution".

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

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

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."

Two weeks of further bus strikes announced in city

Bus drivers in Bristol have announced two more weeks of strikes after talks broke down in an ongoing row over pay.

First Bus drivers are partway through a four-day strike which ends on Friday, with about 600 drivers taking part in the industrial action.

The drivers have now voted to take further strike action from 1-14 October after talks broke down between First West of England and Unite.

First said it wanted to "find a solution" to the "unnecessary" strikes, while Unite has accused the firm of "putting profits over people".

Unite said its members were spending half of their wages on rent and had not been able to save money at the same time First had made an operating profit of £204.3m.

"First Bus is a very profitable firm, but its hard-working workers are struggling to pay the bills," said Unite general secretary Sharon Graham.

The union said First had refused to negotiate with Unite and had rejected support from the conciliation service Acas.

Ms Graham added: "The situation is deplorable and it is little wonder they have voted to take further industrial action."

This week's strikes, which began on Tuesday, have caused widespread disruption in the city with many services not running.

Unite warned the length of the second wave of strikes, which will once again see 600 drivers walk out, means it is likely to cause severe disruption, including cancellations and delays.

First West of England managing director Doug Claringbold said: "These [strikes] are unnecessary and, most importantly, hugely disruptive to our customers, and it is within the hands of the union to stop this action. We have always maintained an open dialogue with the union and while they continue to reject our full and final offer, which has been accepted by other areas in our region, we still hope to find a solution to encourage the union to call off their strikes. I was pleased that during the first day of strikes this week we kept about 60% of services within, and serving, Bristol running."

Obviously I want drivers to be paid properly, with good conditions of work and polite passengers.

That said, I wonder if there's a bit of politics on the part of Unite.

People forget its not just about pay. Members will want better terms and conditions which I don't blame them given all the stuff drivers have got to put up with something I know from personal experience as a driver myself and having given national express coaches in Bristol.

People forget its not just about pay. Members will want better terms and conditions which I don't blame them given all the stuff drivers have got to put up with something I know from personal experience as a driver myself and having given national express coaches in Bristol.

An update, from the BBC^» (British Broadcasting Corporation - home page):