AS a bus strike looms across Essex, one company has been accused of “taking a big slice of cake and just leaving crumbs” for staff.

First bus services are expected to grind to a halt on Monday as drivers carry out the first of a series of one-day strikes, with further stoppages planned for October 26 and November 9 and 23.

The strike has been called by union Unite after the company imposed a pay freeze.

Picket lines are set to be formed at the company’s garages in Colchester, Clacton, Harwich, Braintree, Basildon, Hadleigh and Chelmsford.

Paul Speak, the union’s branch chairman at Colchester, said the company had not taken talks at the reconciliation service ACAS “seriously”, leading to a resounding yes vote in a strike ballot.

“The company had said there would be no increase before we had even thought about starting pay negotiations,” he said.

“They have made more than £130million profits this year.

“We are under pressure to meet unrealistic timetables given the traffic levels. Our working hours have been extended and we have less time to do safety checks.

“More and more drivers are getting fed up with the stance the company is taking.

“We do not want to strike and put the public to any inconvenience, but unfortunately this is the only tool we have to get at the company.”

First managing director Alan Pilbeam said the company will endeavour to run “whatever services we can” during the stoppage.

“This strike will result in inconvenience to the lives of tens of thousands of our passengers and severe disruption to businesses in the region,” he said.

“We are not asking for pay or job cuts, only that our drivers continue to work for the same hourly rate as they did last year. In the current economic climate we are unable to meet the union’s demands.”