"Disappointing" Portsmouth area First Bus strikes could scare off passengers amid escalating industrial action

Watch more of our videos on ShotsTV.com 
and on Freeview 262 or Freely 565
Visit Shots! now
Escalating bus strikes in the Portsmouth area has the council concerned about a hit to public transport usage.

Fresh industrial action was announced by the Unite Union this morning (January 17), with over 140 drivers and supervisors walking out amid an ongoing dispute over pay and conditions. Workers based at the Hoeford depot in Fareham Road, Gosport, will be joining the picket line and making their presence felt.

Services across Portsmouth, Gosport, Fareham, and into Southampton, will be impacted. Strikes will take place every weekend in January, as well as on February 2-9, 12-14, 16-23 and 25-27. Councillor Peter Candlish, cabinet member for transport, said the industrial action and the rise in the single fare cap from £2 to £3 is a bad start to 2025 following a year of positivity for public transport. Union members have been left disgusted by a recent pay offer, with First Bus claiming it was adequate.

Hide Ad
Hide Ad
The council has expressed concern about the ongoing bus strikes plaguing the Portsmouth area. Pictured: Picket line for striking bus drivers in despite over pay and reinstatement of conditions at the First Bus (Solent) depot in Fareham, Hampshire, UK, on January 11.The council has expressed concern about the ongoing bus strikes plaguing the Portsmouth area. Pictured: Picket line for striking bus drivers in despite over pay and reinstatement of conditions at the First Bus (Solent) depot in Fareham, Hampshire, UK, on January 11.
The council has expressed concern about the ongoing bus strikes plaguing the Portsmouth area. Pictured: Picket line for striking bus drivers in despite over pay and reinstatement of conditions at the First Bus (Solent) depot in Fareham, Hampshire, UK, on January 11. | Sam Stephenson

Cllr Candlish told The News: “I’m really disappointed. Portsmouth buses have been on a roll for the last year. As soon as I came on board as a cabinet member, I saw good things were happening. There has been steady growth in the number of people using the buses, we’re up 20 per cent year on year last year. Since 2025 came around, we’ve had the increase in the single fare cap from £2 to £3, and now the strikes.”

Cllr Candlish, Liberal Democrats, said there could be a passenger decrease short term. “They (the strikes) will have an impact,” he said, “in the long run I’m confident we’re still going to get growth this year, because the Bus Service Improvement Plan is still delivering extra goodies. The bus service is fundamentally getting better, but in the short run, there is no doubt that price increases and the possibility of strike action will tend to deter people.

“Where we are getting the growth from is by getting new people or those who hadn’t used the bus for a long time to come back on. They’re the ones I’m most worried about, the people who we got on board last year and are hoping to build upon. They’re less confident bus users. We’ve got to get them more confident. Price increases and strikes really don’t help that.”

Fresh strikes have been announced across the Portsmouth area throughout February. Pictured: Picket line for striking bus drivers in despite over pay and reinstatement of conditions at the First Bus (Solent) depot in Fareham, Hampshire, UK, on January 11.Fresh strikes have been announced across the Portsmouth area throughout February. Pictured: Picket line for striking bus drivers in despite over pay and reinstatement of conditions at the First Bus (Solent) depot in Fareham, Hampshire, UK, on January 11.
Fresh strikes have been announced across the Portsmouth area throughout February. Pictured: Picket line for striking bus drivers in despite over pay and reinstatement of conditions at the First Bus (Solent) depot in Fareham, Hampshire, UK, on January 11. | Sam Stephenson

Cllr Candlish said industrial relations are between the company and the union, and really hopes that both parties can find a resolution. “I don’t think myself or the local authority is the right person to step in at this point,” he added. “I think it’s usually the case that a resolution emerges. Both parties are going to state their positions clearly and strongly. They are in the middle of negotiations. They both know they’ve got to come together and have an agreement. I think eventually they will.”

Hide Ad
Hide Ad

The Unite Union said staff are fed up of being paid barely above the minimum wage, while being angry at terms and conditions removed during the Covid-19 pandemic not being reinstated. They added that First Bus directors said there was “no more money” for workers, despite the company clocking a national revenue of nearly £5bn in 2023.

Unite general secretary Sharon Graham said: “First Group is making millions of pounds of profit across the UK on public transport yet is treating its workers and the communities they come from in Hampshire with disdain. To pay barely above the minimum wage for a skilled and high-pressure job is utterly unacceptable and our members at First have the full support of Unite in their dispute.”

Cllr Peter Candlish, Liberal Democrat for Eastney and Craneswater ward, believes a resolution can be found between Unite and First.Cllr Peter Candlish, Liberal Democrat for Eastney and Craneswater ward, believes a resolution can be found between Unite and First.
Cllr Peter Candlish, Liberal Democrat for Eastney and Craneswater ward, believes a resolution can be found between Unite and First. | Sarah Standing (040523-7835)

Unite regional officer Ian Woodland added: “First Bus are acting like stroppy children and refusing to even meet with Unite for talks. They are trying to claim there is no money while everyone can read their accounts and see just how much their directors earn. This dispute is causing huge disruption throughout Hampshire but it is entirely of of First Bus’ own making. It can resolve the dispute by coming back to the table with an offer acceptable to our members.”

When approached for comment, a spokesperson for First Bus Solent said: “It is extremely disappointing to see Unite have decided to cause further unnecessary disruption by announcing new strike dates in February. We are sorry for the disruption this action will cause our customers, who ultimately are the ones who will suffer.

Hide Ad
Hide Ad

“We want to resolve this dispute, our door remains open, and we have invited them back to negotiations. We have asked Unite to explore different options with us, as we have been clear that financially we cannot go beyond our final no strings offer of 7.8 per cent over two years (including other enhancements). This is a 35.9 per cent pay increase since 2021. Unfortunately, they have ignored this offer to further explore different options and instead announced further action.

“Over the last two weekends of strike action, while regrettably not running as many services as usual due to strike action, we have still been able to maintain a core network and have been pleased to see a growing number of staff choosing to report for work, meaning we have been able to run more services than expected throughout the strike, limiting disruption, and we expect this to continue. We will also continue to use staff from other areas to keep as many services running as possible.”

Comment Guidelines

National World encourages reader discussion on our stories. User feedback, insights and back-and-forth exchanges add a rich layer of context to reporting. Please review our Community Guidelines before commenting.

News you can trust since 1877
Follow us
©National World Publishing Ltd. All rights reserved.Cookie SettingsTerms and ConditionsPrivacy notice