Melbourne bus drivers to strike after pay negotiations fail

Drivers at two of Melbourne's largest bus companies are set to walk off the job for 24 hours on Thursday, throwing the travel plans of thousands of commuters into chaos.

The Transport Workers Union said drivers at Transdev and CDC, which together carry more than 150,000 passengers a day, would strike after pay negotiations broke down.

The state government is seeking to avert the strike, with Transport Minister Jacinta Allan calling on both sides to resume talks.

"I'm very disappointed to see that this action may be taking place," she said.

"That's why we're urging the parties to get back to the negotiating table, where they've been sitting around the table successfully working through issues, we want to see them get back there and keep those negotiations going."

Transdev is advising passengers that none of its buses will run on Thursday. 

The company operates 47 routes, including the busy orbital SmartBus services and routes to Doncaster, while CDC is responsible for 49 routes in metropolitan Melbourne, as well as buses in Ballarat.