Farcical pay disparity

Imagine doing the same exact job as a colleague—same title, same skill level, and same daily tasks—for a lower pay rate.

This is a situation London bus drivers often find themselves in, where compensation is dictated by 18 different contractors, all with varying rates of pay for sometimes driving the same exact route.

That’s why more than 20,000 of Unite’s bus driver members will today (December 3) begin voting on whether to take industrial action, in a bid to secure one London-wide agreement covering pay, terms and conditions.

While London’s tube drivers have one single collective pay deal, the city’s bus drivers are at the mercy of pay negotiations among the 18 different companies that contract the city’s bus services. These uneven negotiations lead to blatantly unfair disparities in pay.

A refusal by the bus operators to address the issue has led to pay gaps of over ÂŁ2 an hour for new starters opening up with pay varying from ÂŁ9.30 to ÂŁ11.46 an hour depending on the company.

The ballot will close Thursday (December 18), making it possible that industrial action could begin in the New Year. A consultative ballot held in November found 96 per cent of members indicate they would be willing to take strike action.

Unite London regional officer Wayne King called bus pay in the city a “farce”.

“You have drivers doing the same work, driving the same routes at the same time of day, but being paid different rates,” King explained.

“Rather than one set of negotiations covering all of London’s bus drivers we have 18,” he added. “It is not only inefficient but it is leading to pay inequality and resentment among the men and women who keep London on the move 24 hours a day.”

Stay tuned on UNITELive.org as we bring you the latest update on possible industrial action from our bus drivers in the coming months.