Bus workers protest in July 2008, photo Paul Mattsson

Bus workers protest in July 2008, photo Paul Mattsson   (Click to enlarge: opens in new window)

Monday 1st October saw bus drivers and engineers in South Wales take strike action over pay despite their union, Unite, recommending they refrain from doing so.

It was the first strike action of its type in eight years and was a new experience for many of the users of First Cymru buses. However the response was tremendous.

I work at a local supermarket and many of my colleagues use the bus to travel to and from work, myself included.

But despite the strike meaning they had to make other plans they supported the drivers and understood their decision, with comments like, “Good for them” and “They deserve a decent wage”.

Also, whilst travelling on the buses before the strike I informed the drivers that I support them in taking strike action and was pleased to hear I wasn’t the first person to do so.

Passengers in the area are worried about a worsening bus service as letters in the local paper have shown recently and they believe that the workers taking a stand against the bus company can arrest this decline.

On the day itself the striking workers made Socialist Party members feel most welcome on their picket lines and were happy to have our support.

The overall response to the strike gave me a real lift, as I’m sure it did to the workers on strike.

In the lead-up to, and fight for, a general strike, this is great news indeed.

Scott Jones, South West Wales

This version of this article was first posted on the Socialist Party website on 4 October 2012 and may vary slightly from the version subsequently printed in The Socialist.