There’s more disruption coming on the buses, with nearly 30 routes across south London likely to be affected when around 1,000 drivers based at Croydon, Brixton, Norwood and Thornton Heath garages stage three days of strike action in May.
Service disruption: South Croydon bus garage was shut down during the previous strike days in March
It follows a two-day strike that took place at the end of March.
The Unite union members working for bus operator Arriva have been balloted and the planned strike days will take place on Wednesday, May 11, followed by Monday and Tuesday, May 16 and 17.
“The bus strikes scheduled for May will undoubtedly cause disruption and delays across London, but this dispute is a direct result of Arriva’s high-handed treatment of its drivers,” said union regional official John Murphy said.
“Further strikes can still be avoided provided that Arriva returns to the negotiating table and makes an improved offer that members find acceptable.”
Unite also claims that ongoing service cuts to the Transport for London bus network are reducing driver earnings as there are fewer services for them to operate.
Arriva London has doubled its original pay offer to a 3per cent increase, but the unions say this still leaves their members facing a real-terms pay cut with inflation at 8per cent.
Other workers employed directly by Transport for London received a 8.4per cent pay rise earlier this year.
Unite general secretary Sharon Graham called the Arriva offer “unacceptable”.
United action: union boss Sharon Graham
She said: ” Arriva’s drivers are being pummelled by a double whammy of reduced earnings and rising living costs. Arriva must think again and pay its drivers a fair wage.
“Our members at Arriva will be receiving Unite’s complete support until this dispute is resolved and the bus drivers receive an offer which meets their expectations.”
An Arriva spokesperson said the firm was “deeply disappointed” by the strike action.
Croydon, with a high number of Arriva-operated routes, will be particularly affected by the strike action.
The following routes will be affected:
- 2: Marylebone-West Norwood
- 60: Streatham-Old Coulsdon
- 64: Thornton Heath Pond-New Addington (Vulcan Way)
- 137: Marble Arch-Streatham Hill
- 157: Morden-Crystal Palace
- 166: Croydon-Epsom General Hospital
- 194: Croydon-Lower Sydenham
- 198: Thornton Heath-Shrublands
- 202: Blackheath-Crystal Palace
- 249: Anerley-Clapham Common
- 250: Brixton-Croydon
- 255: Balham-Pollards Hill
- 264: Tooting (St George’s)-Croydon
- 289: Elmers End-Purley
- 312: Norwood Junction-South Croydon
- 405: Croydon-Redhill
- 410: Wallington-Crystal Palace
- 412: West Croydon-Purley
- 417: Clapham Common-Crystal Palace
- 450: Lower Sydenham-Croydon
- 466: Addington Village-Caterham-on-the-Hill
- 468: Elephant and Castle (Borough Road)- South Croydon
- 612: Selsdon Library-Wallington Grammar
- 627: Worcester Park-Wallington High
- 645: Waddon-Purley Cross
- 685: Hamsey Green-Selsdon
- 689: Croydon-Orchard Park High School
- N2: Marylebone-Crystal Palace
- N137: Oxford Circus-Streatham Hill
- If you have a news story about life in or around Croydon, or want to publicise your residents’ association or business, or if you have a local event to promote, please email us with full details at inside.croydon@btinternet.com
- By having a comment section, we provide all readers with an immediate “right of reply” on all our content. Details of how this works can be read by clicking here
- Inside Croydon works together with the Bureau of Investigative Journalism, as well as BBC London News and ITV London
- Inside Croydon: 3.3million page views in 2021. Seen by 1.6million unique visitors in that 12-month period
