Some dubbed summer 2022 the ‘summer of discontent’, and it looks like it’s going to be spilling over into the winter: there are even more public-transport strikes on the horizon. This time, it’s the buses. London bus drivers have announced industrial action over the Christmas period. Almost 1,000 Unite Members who work for Abellio in south and west London will stage ten days of walkouts in November and December.
What dates are the London bus strikes?
The strike days will be on November 22, 25 and 26 and December 1, 2, 3, 9, 10, 16 and 17.
Which bus routes will be affected?
The exact routes are yet to be confirmed, but it’s going to primarily affect buses in south and west London. Striking workers will be from depots in Battersea, Beddington, Hayes, Southall, Twickenham and Walworth.
We’ll update this page as we get more information.
Why are bus workers striking and what have the unions said?
It’s a dispute over pay: because of the huge inflation and rise in living costs at the moment, many London workers will be taking real terms pay cuts. The union has said Abellio hasn’t offered drivers a fair pay rise, despite pay rises being due to take place in January.
Unite general secretary Sharon Graham said: ‘Abellio is a vastly wealthy multinational company that could and should be paying its workers a fair pay increase. With workers struggling to cope with rampant inflation, Abellio’s failure to even enter into meaningful pay talks is cold-hearted and callous.
‘Unite is now entirely focused on defending and enhancing the jobs, pay and conditions of its members and the bus drivers at Abellio will be receiving the union’s complete support.’
Are there any other London strikes planned?
This news comes on the same day (November 10) as the latest London Underground strike staged by RMT. Much of the tube will grind to a halt today, but the Overground, DLR, tram, Elizabeth line and buses are still running as normal.
The Aslef union has just announced another strike on November 26 which will include 12 rail companies: Avanti West Coast, Chiltern Railways, CrossCountry, East Midlands Railway, Great Western Railway, Greater Anglia, London North Eastern Railway, London Overground, Northern Trains, Southeastern, Transpennine Express and West Midlands Trains.
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