Ken Skates MS, Cabinet Secretary for Transport and North Wales
Social partnership is central to how transport is delivered in Wales. It underpins my approach to reform, to delivery and to engagement with the workforce across the transport system.
I am pleased to confirm that Transport for Wales (TfW) has now concluded a formal trade union recognition agreement for its non-operational staff. This is an important step for TfW as a publicly owned organisation and a clear example of social partnership being applied in practice, consistent with the Social Partnership and Public Procurement (Wales) Act 2023.
Reaching this agreement has not been straightforward. It has required sustained engagement on complex issues and a willingness from all parties to address challenges through dialogue. That approach has allowed progress to be made constructively, maintaining engagement throughout and strengthening the foundations for effective industrial relations within TfW.
This agreement sits within a wider programme of partnership working between the Welsh Government, Transport for Wales, and the trade unions. Through regular, senior-level engagement, social partnership principles have been embedded into major reforms, including bus franchising and the integration of the transport network. Trade unions have contributed to the development of employment standards and have been engaged early on organisational and cultural change as TfW works towards our shared objectives of one network, one timetable, one ticket, one team.
The same forum has provided space to discuss operational performance and resilience, including rail reliability, rolling stock and the impact of extreme weather. Open discussion of these issues has supported transparency, promoted a shared understanding of constraints, and reinforced the contribution of the workforce in improving services for passengers. This has been an important factor in TfW’s improving performance for punctuality, customer satisfaction and service reliability.
The recognition agreement being signed today (20 March) reflects a broader shift in how change is delivered. It reinforces the principle that the future of transport in Wales is shaped with the workforce, through early engagement and shared responsibility. As bus and rail reforms move further into delivery, this approach will remain essential to supporting fair work and delivering a modern, integrated transport system for Wales.