Trades union Unite has called for a bus strike in London in two weeks’ time – including on the same day as a planned Tube and Overground strike.
Taken for a ride: London United bus drivers have been offered a 3.6% pay rise when inflation is over 11%
More than 1,600 bus drivers are set to join the take strike action on Friday August 19 and Saturday August 20, after their employer failed to make a reasonable pay offer.
But the depots affected do not include any Croydon or south London bus garages.
The strike action, which coincides with the Tube and Overground train drivers’ action on August 19, will affect the following depots operated by London United: Fulwell, Hounslow, Hounslow Heath, Park Royal, Shepherd’s Bush, Stamford Brook and Tolworth.
London United has offered a pay increase of 3.6per cent in 2022 and 4.2 per cent next year.
“With the true inflation rate – RPI – currently standing at 11.8per cent, this is, in effect, a real terms pay cut,” a spokesman for Unite said.
Unite general secretary Sharon Graham said: “The workers’ parent company RATP is fabulously wealthy and it can fully afford to pay our members a decent wage increase.
“Unite’s members play a crucial role in keeping London moving and they are not going to accept seeing their pay constantly eroded.
“Unite does what it says on the trade union tin and always defends the jobs, pay and conditions of its members. Our members at London United will receive the union’s complete support until this dispute is resolved and a fair pay offer secured.”
The workers are employed by London United, a subsidiary of the French-owned company RATP which recorded a profit of £174 million in 2021.
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With every utterance of” we must learn lessons” any junior student of Political History will laugh at the absurdity and gross gullibility.
Good Conservatism and investment can be a good thing for a country ad over the centuries the Conservatives have delivered at times but it is looking like they are in their cycle of implosion once again and could not manage the proverbial piss-up at Downing street without getting caught once again.
Shit shape Schapps is striking again, and cant be bothered to have a discussion. Is this his idea of managing Transport? Literally throwing business and passengers under the Bus? Perhaps in the absence of any leadership he could show some, and have a strategy to resolve the issues instead of creating barriers to agreements?
Or is it time to take pay and conditions out of this (and all) Governments hands? Setting up an independent pay body that allows Unions, Employers, Passengers to have input. Perhaps hold open dialogue under ACAS or another totally independent body, funded directly by receipts of the business in question and no Government appointee’s may be the answer to having transport without strikes.