All Ballarat’s bus lines will be shuttered as 600 drivers stop work, after rejecting a 2.5 per cent pay increase.

TWU national vice-president John Berger said in a statement drivers were outraged, working long hours “performing an important community service”.

“Imagine being told by your boss that you are worth less this year than for the past 12 years - regardless of the impact this will have on your life and the increasing cost of living,” he said.

"The thanks they often get is being robbed and verbally and physically abused by passengers, punched, kicked, knocked unconscious, having knives and blunt objects pulled on the them with very little or no protection."

CDC Victoria CEO Nicholas Yap apologised to customers for the disruption and said the company felt the wage offer “demonstrates our support" for the “very important job” drivers do.

“While we respect the right of all employees to take lawful industrial action, CDC Victoria is disappointed that this will cause such a disruption across our bus services,” he said.

The strike will also disrupt up to 49 metropolitan bus routes, and services in Geelong. Ballarat’s train lines will operate as normal.

In a statement, Public Transport Victoria CEO Jeroen Weimar said it was a “disappointing development” with the potential to cause inconvenience “particularly as people travel during school and university holidays”.

“We ask those who would normally travel on a CDC Victoria bus to consider their travel, allow extra time or make alternative arrangements,” he said.