Bristol Unite Branches have responded positively to a financial appeal to support striking Weymouth bus drivers.

Unite points out that First Group is a very profitable UK company that can afford to reward its Bristol drivers with a 13 per cent increase, but for its employees in Weymouth and Bridport  the deal on the table is only 2.3 per cent over two years from August 2015.

The Weymouth and Bridport drivers earn about £18,300-a-year – or £8.80 an hour, while First Group drivers in Yeovil are on £9.50 per hour. Drivers working for rival firms in Bournemouth and Poole earn nearly £2 an hour more.

Nearly 90 per cent of the drivers voted in favour of strike action.

More information about the dispute can be found here  A fourth week of strikes by Weymouth bus drivers