London bus strike

 

Workers hope to see equal pay across the capital’s 18 bus operators

London bus strike: Which routes will be affected and for how long?

London bus staff will stage one of three 24-hour strikes as part of an ongoing pay dispute on 5 February.

The Unite union announced the move last week and said that the walkouts would take place from 12.01am to 11:59pm on 5, 13 and 16 February. Transport for London is advising regular bus users to consider walking or cycling.

Workers hope to see equal pay across the capital’s 18 bus operators.

During a strike in January for the same reason where more than two thirds of the capital's buses came to a standstill, London regional officer for Unite said: "Passengers pay one fare to travel on London’s iconic red buses, yet there are over 80 different pay rates covering bus workers, many doing the same job or driving the same route but for different rates of pay.

"The blame for the disruption that strike action will cause sits squarely with London’s bus companies," he added. "They have repeatedly ignored our offers for collective talks and need to get their heads out of the sand and start negotiating meaningfully about ending pay inequality on London’s buses."

A union spokesman said that drivers’ pay can differ by £3 per hour, from £9.30 to £12.34. TfL says "levelling up" would cost £100m a year and lead to higher fares and cuts in services.

The bus companies likely to be affected by the bus strike

Bus companies affected
The bus companies likely to be affected by the bus strike are:
• Abellio (Abellio London and Abellio West London)

• Arriva (Arriva North and Arriva South)

• CT Plus (Hackney Community Transport)

• Go Ahead (Blue Triangle, Docklands, London General, London Central, Metrobus)

• London Sovereign

• London United

• Metroline (Metroline and Metroline West)

• Stagecoach (East London Bus & Coach Company, Selkent)

• Tower Transit
Bus services not affected

A number of bus routes are not affected by the strike and should run a normal service:

• 66 - Romford Station to Leytonstone bus station

• 142 - Watford Junction to Brent Cross Shopping Centre

• 160 - Catford to Sidcup Station

• 258 - Watford Junction to South Harrow Station

• 268 - Golders Green Station to Finchley Road

• 288 - Queensbury to Broadfields Estate

• 298 - Arnos Grove to Potters Bar

• 303 - Edgware Station to Colindale

• 305 - Edgware Station to Kingsbury Circle

• 340 - Edgware Station to Harrow Bus Station

• 346 - Upminster Station to Upminster Park Estate

• 370 - Romford to Lakeside Shopping Centre

• 375 - Romford Station to Passingford Bridge

• 404 - Coulsdon to Caterham-on-the-Hill

• 406 - Kingston to Epsom

• 411 - Kingston to West Molsey

• 418 - Kingston to Epsom

• 428 - Erith to Bluewater Shopping Centre

• 463 - Coulsdon South Station to Pollards Hill

• 465 - Kingston to Dorking

• 467 - Hook to Epsom

• 470 - Colliers Wood Station to Epsom

• 492 - Sidcup Station to Bluewater Shopping Centre

• 499 - Gallows Corner to Heath Park Estate

• 626 - Finchley Central Station to Potters Bar

• 628 - Kingsbury to Southgate Station

• 631 - Golders Green Station to Henrietta Barnett School

• 641 - West Molesey to Teddington School

• 642 - West Hendon Broadway/Edgware Station to London Academy

• 653 - Muswell Hill Broadway to Kingsbury

• 683 - Friern Barnet to Kingsbury

• 688 - Southgate Station to Kingsbury

• B12 - Erith to Joydens Wood

• B13 - Bexleyheath Shopping Centre to New Eltham Station

• B15 - Bexleyheath Shopping Centre to Horn Park

• E10 - Northolt to Ealing Broadway Station

• H2 - Golders Green Station circular (via Hampstead Garden Suburb)

• H3 - Golders Green Station to East Finchley, Hilltop

• H18 - Harrow Bus Station circular (via Pinner & Wealdstone)

• H19 - Harrow Bus Station circular (via Wealdstone & Pinner)

• K5 - Ham to Morden Station

• S1 - Banstead to Lavender Fields

• S3 - Sutton Hospital to Malden Manor Station

• X26 - West Croydon to Heathrow Airport

Cr.Independent News

London bus strike 2015

Strike: thousands of London bus drivers are expected to walk-out tomorrow

 TfL offers advice ahead of driver strike, but admits it doesn't know which routes will be affected

Transport for London has offered advice to millions of Londoners facing a day of travel chaos tomorrow as bus drivers prepare to strike, but travel bosses have admitted they don’t know which of the capital’s 700 routes will be affected.

Drivers across the capital are set to walk-out from 4am on Tuesday until the early hours of Wednesday in a strike expected to cause severe disruption across London’s transport network.

In an email sent to passengers this evening, TfL’s managing director Vernon Everitt said: “I am writing to let you know that the Unite union has announced a 24-hour strike, which will mean significant disruption to London bus services tomorrow.

“It is very difficult to predict in advance the level of service that will operate on the 700 specific bus routes. We will keep customers informed through our website and the usual electronic signs at around 2,500 bus stops,” he added.

The planned walkout, which affects 18 bus companies in the capital, is likely to involve 27,000 drivers take action in a long-running dispute over pay.

With passengers in the dark as to whether or not their bus routes will see cancellations or disruption, TfL published a list of the companies “likely to be affected”. These include: Abellio (Abellio London and Abellio West London); Arriva (Arriva North and Arriva South); CT Plus (Hackney Community Transport); Go Ahead (Blue Triangle, Docklands, London General, London Central, Metrobus); London Sovereign; London United; Metroline (Metroline and Metroline West); Stagecoach (East London Bus & Coach Company, Selkent) and Tower Transit.

Strike: bus drivers are demanding equal pay from the capital's bus operators

Londoners have also been advised that Bus & Tram Pass season tickets, 11-15 Zip Oyster photocards and 16+ Zip Oyster photocards with free bus and tram travel will be accepted on Tube, DLR and London Overground services on reasonable routes.

Bus workers union Unite has claimed some bus workers are losing out on up to £3 an hour depending on the company they are employed for.

In a statement today, it said more than two thirds of Londoners are backing the strike, according to a survey of 1,645 passengers.

Wayne King, London regional officer for Unite, said: “London’s bus operators have raked in millions in profits while driving down pay and refusing to tackle pay inequality on the capital’s buses.

“As bus company directors enjoy lottery style salaries, bus drivers doing the same job on the same route are being pitted against one another on different rates of pay.

“Strike action is the last resort. We’ve been forced into this position by the operators’ refusal to even meet with us. Passengers sitting side by side on the same route expect to pay the same fare, so why shouldn’t drivers expect to be paid the same rate?

“The bus operators need to stop pleading poverty in defending pay inequality and collectively start negotiating about a fairer deal for London’s bus workers.”

Leon Daniels, TfL's managing director of surface transport, said: "It is extremely disappointing that Unite has decided to threaten unnecessary disruption, especially given the low turnout for the ballot and low numbers voting for the strike.

"Bus drivers' pay and conditions are a matter for the bus companies and Unite to discuss, as it has been for 20 years, and we would urge them to seek a swift and fair resolution for the sake of our passengers."

Cr.London Evening Standard Post