London Bus Strike To Cause 'Significant Disruption' On Tuesday

If You Travel By Bus In London, You Better Read This...
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London bus passengers face an awful commute on Tuesday as thousands of drivers walk out over a pay dispute.

Up to 27,000 drivers who belong to the Unite union are expected to walk out from around 4am on Tuesday until the early hours of Wednesday as part of a campaign for a single agreement covering pay and conditions.

TfL expects the bus companies Abellio, Arriva, CT Plus, Go Ahead, London Sovereign, London United, Metroline, Stagecoach and Tower Transit to be affected.

The affected companies' routes

Transport for London (TfL) said the strike would also hit night bus services operating on Tuesday night into Wednesday morning.

Speaking on Monday afternoon, a TfL spokesman said they expected the strike to cause "significant disruption" but added it was too early to say what would and would not be running.

Of around 700 bus services TfL runs in London, only around 50, which tend to be in outlying areas of the capital, are not involved in the dispute, he said.

He told The Huffington Post UK: "We don't know until the drivers clock on or don't clock between 3 and 4am tomorrow.

"Until that happens, it's impossible for us to say what level of service we will operate."

He said TfL would likely have a "clear picture" of what was running by 7am but urged people to explore alternative options before travelling.

This will be bad news to those already tweeting @TfL to ask whether their bus is running.

People with bus and tram pass season tickets will be able to use them on the tube, DLR and London Overground services via "reasonable routes", they said.

But one-day passes will not be accepted on any alternative services and refunds will not be given.

Leon Daniels, from TfL, said: "The strike will mean that services across London will be patchy and I urge customers to please check our website for the latest news. We'll be getting up-to-date information to customers as quickly as possible to ensure that they can continue to get around the city."

The strike is over different rates of pay covering drivers doing the same job, leading to differences in hourly rates of over £3, Unite said.

Unite said that, unlike Tube drivers, bus drivers have no collective pay deal, with wages negotiated on a company by company basis.

Wayne King, the union's London regional officer, said: "London's bus operators have raked in millions in profits while driving down pay and refusing to tackle pay inequality on the capital's buses.

"As bus company directors enjoy lottery style salaries, bus drivers doing the same job on the same route are being pitted against one another on different rates of pay.

"Strike action is the last resort. We've been forced into this position by the operators' refusal to even meet with us. Passengers sitting side by side on the same route expect to pay the same fare, so why shouldn't drivers expect to be paid the same rate?

"The bus operators need to stop pleading poverty in defending pay inequality and collectively start negotiating about a fairer deal for London's bus workers."

Mr Daniels said: "It is extremely disappointing that Unite has decided to go ahead with this unnecessary disruption, especially given the low turnout for the ballot and low numbers voting for the strike.

"Bus drivers' pay and conditions are a matter for the bus companies and Unite to discuss, as it has been for 20 years, and we continue to urge them to seek a swift and fair resolution for the sake of our passengers."

TfL published this list of the limited number of services which are running.

66 - Romford Station to Leytonstone bus station

142 - Watford Junction to Brent Cross Shopping Centre

160 - Catford to Sidcup Station

258 - Watford Junction to South Harrow Station

268 - Golders Green Station to Finchley Road

288 - Queensbury to Broadfields Estate

298 - Arnos Grove to Potters Bar

303 - Edgware Station to Colindale

305 - Edgware Station to Kingsbury Circle

340 - Edgware Station to Harrow Bus Station

346 - Upminster Station to Upminster Park Estate

370 - Romford to Lakeside Shopping Centre

375 - Romford Station to Passingford Bridge

404 - Coulsdon to Caterham-on-the-Hill

406 - Kingston to Epsom

411 - Kingston to West Molsey

418 - Kingston to Epsom

428 - Erith to Bluewater Shopping Centre

463 - Coulsdon South Station to Pollards Hill

465 - Kingston to Dorking

467 - Hook to Epsom

470 - Colliers Wood Station to Epsom

492 - Sidcup Station to Bluewater Shopping Centre

499 - Gallows Corner to Heath Park Estate

626 - Finchley Central Station to Potters Bar

628 - Kingsbury to Southgate Station

631 - Golders Green Station to Henrietta Barnett School

641 - West Molesey to Teddington School

642 - West Hendon Broadway/Edgware Station to London Academy

653 - Muswell Hill Broadway to Kingsbury

683 - Friern Barnet to Kingsbury

688 - Southgate Station to Kingsbury

B12 - Erith to Joydens Wood

B13 - Bexleyheath Shopping Centre to New Eltham Station

B15 - Bexleyheath Shopping Centre to Horn Park

E10 - Northolt to Ealing Broadway Station

H2 - Golders Green Station circular (via Hampstead Garden Suburb)

H3 - Golders Green Station to East Finchley, Hilltop

H18 - Harrow Bus Station circular (via Pinner & Wealdstone)

H19 - Harrow Bus Station circular (via Wealdstone & Pinner)

K5 - Ham to Morden Station

S1 - Banstead to Lavender Fields

S3 - Sutton Hospital to Malden Manor Station

X26 - West Croydon to Heathrow Airport