[title]
Strikes are taking place on bus routes across west and southwest London today (Friday September 26) as hundreds of staff walk out at the Westbourne Park depot.
Drivers, engineers, and storemen employed by the London Transit bus company are walking out on September 26 and Monday September 29 as part of a pay dispute. The workers belong to the Unite union, which says that London Transit’s pay offer does not reflect living costs or the essential work staff carry out. The company is owned by First Bus.
If you live or work in west London, here’s everything you should know about the bus strike, including all the specific bus routes set to be affected.
RECOMMENDED: London tube strikes are taking place in the first week of September.
When are London bus workers going on strike?
Industrial action is taking place on Friday September 26 and Monday September 29.
Which bus routes will be affected by strikes?
Impacted routes include: 13, 23, 31, N31, 218, 295 and 452.
Why are bus workers going on strike?
The workers are walking out in a pay dispute. Unite general secretary Sharon Graham said: ‘This is disgraceful behaviour from a company making millions from London bus passengers. It shows an utter disregard for its workers and the hard work they do day in, day out.
‘Our members won’t stand for such behaviour and Unite will back them all the way in this dispute with a company that has a history of anti-worker behaviour.’
A spokesperson for First Bus London said: ‘We are disappointed with the ballot result and the decision to reject our pay offer. It is our expectation that strike action will proceed on 26th and 29th of September. Strikes will cause inconvenience to the public and loss of earnings for our hard-working 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.’
Get the latest and greatest from the Big Smoke – from news and reviews to events and trends. Just follow our Time Out London WhatsApp channel.
Stay in the loop: sign up for our free Time Out London newsletter for the best of the city, straight to your inbox.