Apple is currently sitting on over $180 billion in cold hard cash and while it deliberates what to spend it all on, it's giving a boost to shuttle drivers that drive Apple employees around California.

In follows increasing tension between the top internet companies and private shuttle companies. Due to the lack of proper work times, shuttle drivers end-up working multiple shifts, potentially starting as early as 5am and finishing at 10pm.

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"Over 5,000 Apple employees in the Bay Area take advantage of our commute alternatives program every day," said Apple spokeswoman Kristin Huguet in a statement.

"We're working with the bus companies to help make a number of changes for the more than 150 drivers of our commute shuttles, including funding a 25 percent increase in hourly wages, premium pay for coach and shuttle drivers who work split shifts, and improving the driver break and rest areas."

Apple is one of the first companies to give in to higher wages following several demands from the Teamsters union, unhappy with the current conditions for its drivers.

Most of the shuttle drivers are hired from Compass Transportation and Royal Coach Tours, two of the main shuttle companies in the San Francisco area. Silicon Valley has become a prominent market for shuttle drivers since there isn't a lot of parking and hundreds of thousands of developers.

Yahoo, Facebook, Google, Apple, Microsoft and several other Silicon Valley based companies have shuttle buses to take developers to and from the main HQ.

Facebook recently announced it would not give shuttle drivers a pay increase, claiming it pays the shuttle companies enough for transportation and they should be in charge of paying drivers a decent wage.

Apple has been looking to stop outsourcing its workforce in the U.S., starting with hiring security instead of contracting it. It might look towards acquiring or simply setting up a shuttle service of its own in the near future.

TagsCupertino, shuttle strikes, shuttle drivers, california