London Buses - Strike over pay
WORKERS, OCTOBER 2008 ISSUE
Bus drivers and other staff working for London bus operators First Capital East and First Centrewest went on a 48 hour strike from Friday 12 September in a dispute over their pay.
Routes such as the 191 and 259 in Edmonton, north London, were completely off the streets for the period of the strike. The 2,500 members of the union Unite have overwhelmingly rejected an offer of 3.5 per cent from the operators. The union is also fighting for comparable pay across all London bus operators by submitting a London-wide claim.
Drivers and other staff are paid widely varying rates of pay for identical work across the Transport for London regulated area. In some cases the difference amounts to as much as £6,000 per year. Unless the dispute is resolved more action is planned and strike ballots are taking place in most other London bus companies.