Rugby fans face huge rail disruption for Wales’s opening Six Nations match against England after strike action was called.
Rail union RMT has said it will strike on Friday February 4 after talks with Arriva Trains Wales over pay broke down.
The strike clashes with the opening Six Nations fixture in Cardiff – where tens of thousands of fans are due to gather.
Arriva Trains Wales has said its offer, a 12% pay increase over two years, was “very generous”.
RMT general secretary Bob Crow said: “RMT has rejected a further unacceptable offer from the company that would have left our members with an effective pay cut and which was loaded with strings.
“We have held a full consultation with our members and they are clear that the current position of ATW does not go far enough to protect their standard of living with inflation roaring ahead to 5% and VAT and other core costs being jacked up as working people are told to pay the price for the bankers’ crisis.
“Our members have already shown their determination to win a decent settlement with a rock-solid strike, and it is now for the company to recognise their anger and negotiate a just deal that delivers fair reward and a decent work/life balance.
“It is our members’ hard work that creates Arriva’s profits and it is time that the company paid heed to the needs of its workforce rather than just the demands of shareholders.”
The dispute between the two organisations has been on-going for several weeks. Earlier this month a planned strike was called-off while last month services were stopped for 24 hours just after Christmas.