Londoners warned about busier buses as drivers go on month strike
Londoners have been warned that buses will be “busier than usual” in the next few weeks, as drivers working in south and west London are set to go on strike.
Members of the union Unite working for operator Abellio will down tools for 11 days between 24 December and 26 January as part of a long-standing dispute over salaries.
This is the second round of industrial action, as workers went on a six-week strike throughout November and December.
Walkouts will take place on 24, 27, 31 December as well as 4,5, 10, 12, 16, 19, 25 and 26 January, affecting services from 5am.
The strikes will involve almost 2,000 workers at garages in Battersea, Walworth, as well as Twickenham and Beddington.
“We apologise for any disruption caused to Londoners,” said TfL’s director of buses Louise Cheeseman.
“There still will be options for people to travel in west and south London, but other routes may be busier than normal.”
The industrial action will partially coincide with the RMT and TSSA walkouts – which are set to take place at Network Rail and 15 other companies between the end of December and the first week of January.
Unite’s regional officer Guy Langston called on the company to come back to the negotiating table as he blamed the company’s leadership “for acting in such bad faith.”
Jon Eardley, Abellio’s managing director called on the union to encourage members to take the 12 per cent pay deal and cancel their planned industrial action.
“The Abellio pay deal comes with no conditions and sees bus driver basic pay rise by an average of £100 per week and over £5,000 per year, bringing an established bus driver’s salary to around £40,000 per year. We also currently pay one of the highest rates in London for new bus drivers,” Eardley said.
“We are deeply disappointed that despite this offer Unite plan to continue strike action over Christmas and into the New Year, bringing further disruption to hundreds of thousands of Londoners.”