Commuters spared two days of further transport chaos as Unite cancels London-wide bus strike

Picture: Wikimedia

Picture: Wikimedia

Unite union has confirmed further bus strikes planned for the coming week will now not take place, after last week’s strike brought misery to commuters in ELL boroughs.

The strikes, scheduled for Friday 13 and Monday 16 February, were called off as the union and bus operators debated the disparities in pay between employees on the capital’s 18 bus operators.

 


Unite regional officer Wayne King warned that the union would not accept excuses from bus companies if they refuse to negotiate.

King said: “We’ve postponed the two days of strike action in an act of goodwill and we are not asking them to break competition law by meeting us collectively. The ball is firmly in the court of London’s bus companies.

“They have a duty to London’s 6.8 million bus passengers to join us in collective talks to end the pay inequality and pay chaos on London’s buses. All we are asking for is a collective forum to discuss how we can end pay disparities over a sensible time frame.

“A failure to do so will mean that strike action and the disruption caused by the last two strongly supported strikes will be back on the cards.”

Leon Daniels, TfL’s Managing Director of Surface Transport, said: “We welcome the postponement of the strikes and are delighted that bus passengers will not be further inconvenienced.”

Unite called on TfL to play a “constructive role” during the dispute.

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