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A whopping 60 bus routes across west and southwest London could face significant disruption, as thousands of bus drivers, engineers and controllers in the area are planning to go on strike.
Bus workers belonging to Unite union have voted to take industrial action over a pay dispute with their employers, London United and London Transit. The two companies are both owned by First Bus, which union members say is trying deny workers hundreds of pounds in back pay.
If you live or work around the likes of Shepherds Bush, Notting Hill, Kingston or Wandsworth, here’s everything you should know about the bus strike, including all the specific bus routes set to be affected.
RECOMMENDED: London tube strikes have been called for the first week of September.
When are London bus workers going on strike?
The industrial action is planned to take place from 5am on Friday September 12 to 5am on Monday September 15.
The same workers previous walked out on Friday, August 29 and Monday, September 1.
Which bus routes will be affected by strikes?
London United and London Transit run eight depots, all in west and southwest London. They’re located in Fulwell, Hounslow, Hounslow Heath, Park Royal, Shepherds Bush, Stamford Brook, Tolworth and Westbourne Park.
That means that the routes likely to be impacted by the strikes, with little to no services, are: 13, 18, 23, 31, 33, 49, 65, 70, 71, 72, 85, 94, 105, 110, 116, 117, 148, 203, 216, 218, 220, 224, 235, 272, 281, 283, 290, 293, 295, 371, 406, 411, 418, 419, 423, 440, 452, 467, 613, 662, 665, 681, 695, 696, 698, C1, E3, H22, H37, H98, K1, K2, K3, K4, K5, N18, N31, N33, N65 and N72
Why are bus workers going on strike?
The Unite union says that workers are striking in response to London Transit and London United trying to alter when pay rises would take effect. That could mean that drivers lose out on hundreds of pounds of back pay. London United is also accused of attempting to change the pay anniversary of some workers and refusing to reinstate shift work premiums for others.
Sharon Graham, Unite’s general secretary, said: ‘This is underhand and disgraceful behaviour from a company making millions from London bus passengers. To try and refuse to pay money owed since December shows an utter disregard for its workers and the hard work they do day in, day out.’
Callum Rochford, the union’s regional officer, added: ‘Workers can see through these tactics and won't stand for them. London United and London Transit need to come back to the table, pay what's right and end this dispute now before they make going back to school even less popular.’
A spokesperson for First Bus London said: ‘We are disappointed at Unite’s decision, particularly as we tabled a revised pay offer in a final attempt to avert disruption. We regret that our valued employees were not given the chance to formally vote on the offer, especially as our own internal feedback indicated a good level of interest in what we proposed. We believe that constructive engagement could have helped us avoid strike action, which will unfortunately cause unnecessary inconvenience to the London public and loss of earnings for our employees.
‘Our enhanced, above-inflation offer with full back pay for all employees reflects the value we place on our people and our commitment to protecting them from the rising cost of living, even in the challenging financial environment we operate in. We remain ready to meet Unite at any time, as we are committed to finding a resolution and minimising disruption for our passengers and employees alike.’
More travel disruption: read about the London Gatwick strikes this August and September here.
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