Overview
- Around 600 First Bus drivers at Bristol’s Lawrence Hill and Hengrove depots are on a four‑day strike through Friday, causing 16 routes to be cancelled and 18 to run on sharply reduced timetables.
- First West of England said 25–30% of services are running from the two striking depots and about 60% across the wider network, while hospitals urged staff and patients to plan alternative travel.
- In Greater Manchester, more than 2,000 Unite members at First, Metroline and Stagecoach plan coordinated walkouts on September 19–22, with additional strike days announced for September 30–October 2.
- Transport for Greater Manchester will accept many bus tickets and concessionary passes on Metrolink trams during the strikes, and a separate ballot of roughly 200 TfGM staff over a 3.2% offer closes on October 1.
- The Bristol dispute focuses on the timing and backdating of agreed pay rises, as Unite criticises offers as inadequate, while operators argue they must phase increases to protect business sustainability.