Drivers, engineers and store staff walked out from 5am on Monday, 29 September, after rejecting First Bus’s latest pay offer, which trade union Unite said fell below inflation. The strike will run until 5am on Tuesday, 30 September.
The industrial action is affecting routes operated from Westbourne Park, including: 13, 23, 31, N31, 218, 295 and 452. Transport for London (TfL) warned there is likely to be little to no service on these routes, and that alternative buses may be busier than usual.
This latest strike follows earlier walkouts on Friday, 26 September and two days of action earlier this autumn.
Unite’s 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 responded:
“We are disappointed with the ballot result and the decision to reject our pay offer. 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.”
TfL is advising passengers to plan ahead, allow extra travel time and check before travelling via the TfL website or the TfL Go app.
