THE boss of a Somerset bus operator has voiced his disappointment and frustration after more than one in three staff voted to strike.

The RMT union has announced drivers of Buses of Somerset, along with their colleagues in Cornwall, will walk on Monday (October 10).

They will also strike on October 21 and November 4 and 11 in a dispute over pay.

Simon Goff, managing director for First South West, said: "We can confirm that 227 RMT members out of our staff of 650 operating Buses of Somerset and Cornwall by Kernow routes have voted to take industrial action, after rejecting a pay offer of 8.6 per cent from September 2022 followed by a further 8.3 per cent from April 2023.

“We are hugely disappointed and frustrated that, despite extensive talks and this significant pay offer in the current climate, we have not been able to reach an amicable conclusion to discussions.

"Whether they come to work or not on Monday, we recognise and value the great work that all our staff do, especially their contributions to communities during the pandemic.

"We want to support our staff in the ongoing cost of living crisis, and we believe our offer does this whilst seeking to protect jobs.

“Bus operations across the UK have been severely impacted by the pandemic.

"The business has been struck by a change in travel patterns both during and after the Covid pandemic and although the number of people using our services is slowly increasing, it is still much lower than pre-Covid.

"Customer numbers across the bus industry in England are down 25 per cent on pre-Covid times.

“We respect the rights of colleagues to take action, but in order to allow the business to recover from the pandemic, we need to work together, keep the wheels turning and make sure people can go about their daily lives without disruption.

"I would like to apologise sincerely to all our customers for the inconvenience this will cause.

"We are doing everything possible to operate what services we can.”

An RMT spokesperson told the Gazette yesterday that around 400 workers are planning to take action over the offer to their pay of "a small upgrade" from £11 an hour to £12 while paying vast sums in dividends to shareholders.

READ MORE: RMT bus drivers going on strike in Somerset.