Warnings of 'widespread disruption' as London bus drivers to go on strike in run-up to Christmas
10 November 2022, 11:38 | Updated: 10 November 2022, 11:59
Warnings of 'widespread disruption' in the run-up to Christmas as bus drivers in south and west London announce ten days of strikes during the festive period.
Almost 1,000 bus drivers in London are to stage a series of strikes over pay.
Members of Unite employed by Abellio in south and west London will take 10 days of action in the run-up to Christmas.The union said the company had not made an offer on pay even though an increase is due in January.
Read more: November Tube strike: Which lines are affected?
The announcement comes on the day Tube workers went on strike in the latest transport walkout to hit London.
All Underground lines were suspended or part suspended, causing commuter chaos, as RMT and Unite union members walked off the job for the sixth time this year.
The RMT union claimed last-minute talks with Transport for London (TfL) fell through in a dispute over pensions and job security with up to 600 station roles on the line.
The workers will strike on November 22, 25, and 26 and on December 1, 2, 3, 9, 10, 16 and 17.
Unite general secretary Sharon Graham said: “Abellio is a vastly wealthy multinational company that could and should be paying its workers a fair pay increase. With workers struggling to cope with rampant inflation, Abellio’s failure to even enter into meaningful pay talks is coldhearted and callous.
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“Unite is now entirely focused on defending and enhancing the jobs, pay and conditions of its members and the bus drivers at Abellio will be receiving the union’s complete support.”
The bus drivers, who are members of Unite, are based at garages in Battersea, Beddington, Hayes, Southall, Twickenham and Walworth.
Will your bus be canceled?
Routes affected are:
3, 24 27, 45, 63, 68, 109, 111, 130, 156, 159, 195, 196, 201, 207, 267, 270, 278, 285, 315, 322, 344, 345, 350, 367, 381, 407, 415, 427, 433, 464, 482, 490, 671, 969, C10, E5, E7, E10, E11, H20, H25, H26, H28, P5, P13, R68, R70, S4, U5, U7, U9 and night routes N3, N27, N63, N68, N109, N207 and N381.
Unite regional officer Guy Langston: “The strike action will cause widespread disruption across the London bus network, most notably in South and West London, but this dispute is entirely of Abellio’s own making. It has had every opportunity to enter into meaningful pay negotiations, but it has chosen not to do so.”
“The delay in offering a pay increase is causing extreme distress to the workers who are increasingly struggling to make ends meet and pay even for the basics.”
