TRANSLINK drivers will take strike action in a dispute over pay which could shut down public bus services across the North for a week.
Unite the Union and GMB members will begin the week-long strike action on Monday, April 25, with a further day's action planned for Friday, May 6.
It comes after drivers overwhelmingly voted for industrial action, having rejected the latest Translink management pay offer.
The strike will affect both Ulsterbus and Metro services.
Unite general secretary Sharon Graham expressed her support for the striking bus workers.
“These bus workers are frontline workers – they deserve respect and a pay increase," she said. "Translink needs to grasp that there’s a cost of living crisis destroying the value of wages and return with a more acceptable offer.
“Unite’s members have the full support of their union in taking this strike action for fairer pay.”
Unite deputy regional secretary Davy Thompson said: “Unite represents the overwhelming majority of bus workers and this strike action, taken in conjunction with GMB, which also represents bus workers, will shut down all bus services.
“Bus workers deserve a pay increase. The ball is in the court of Translink management. They can avoid this unnecessary and highly disruptive strike – they need to address our members’ legitimate pay expectations.”
A Translink spokesperson said: “We are disappointed to learn that Unite and GMB bus driver trade unions have voted to take industrial action.
“Following extensive negotiations, we made a pay offer, including an enhanced package of conditions, that we believe is fair and reasonable.
“We remain committed to working with the unions to avert this action."
