Bus drivers strike

London’s bus drivers have had enough of unfair pay disparities among the capital’s 18 different bus operators, culminating in overwhelming support for potential industrial action in the new year.

 
Across the 18 different companies, the bus drivers, Unite members, voted on average 85 per cent in favour of taking action if the bus operators continue in their refusal to enter talks about a collective London-wide agreement governing all workers pay, terms and conditions.

 
Bus drivers point to tube drivers, who are under one citywide collective agreement and enjoy much better pay, terms and conditions.

 
The disparities in pay among the various different bus operators often lead to absurd scenarios in which some new starters get paid as much as ÂŁ3 less per hour for driving the exact same route as other new starters.

 
In addition to supporting strike action, nearly 90 per cent voted in favour of action short of a strike.

 
“This overwhelming vote in favour of strike action across London’s buses should be a wake-up call to the capital’s bus operators who continue to defend pay inequality,” said Unite regional officer for London Wayne King.

 
“Bus workers who keep our capital running 24 hours a day, seven days a week have had enough of the growing pay disparities and the growing resentment it breeds across the industry,” he added.

 
“Rather than one set of negotiations covering all of London’s bus drivers we have 18. It is simply not fair to have drivers doing the same work, driving the same routes at the same time of day, but being paid different rates,” King went on to say.

 
“London’s bus operators need to enter into meaningful talks aimed at ending pay inequality and establishing a collective forum that covers bus workers’ pay terms and conditions in London. Otherwise, their continued refusal risks the disruption of a London wide bus strike in the new year.”

 
Stay tuned on UNITElive for the latest on London bus drivers’ potential strike action.