I’ve blogged before on industrial relations problems across the bus network. Boris Johnson has been explicitly criticised by trade unionists who see fares about to rise but their pay frozen, whilst revenue from the congestion charge will be reduced when the western extension is abolished.  Johnson has blocked millions of pounds of potential revenue by axing the £25 c-charge on gas guzzlers.

Steve Hart, the regional secretary of the Unite union, has previously argued that his union believes Londoners are suffering from the mistakes in the mayor’s transport strategy:

“The mayor and Transport for London are now seeking to raise money by big fare increases and cuts in real wages of the workers who keep London moving.”

The Unite union, which represents bus drivers in London, has now confirmed the next round of strikes on London’s buses. Unite members working for London bus operators, CT Plus and the East London Bus Group (ELBG) will take part in a 24 hour strike from 3am on Wednesday (16th December). The dispute is over pay. East London buses have decided on a pay freeze for bus drivers.

Unite and the ELBG have agreed to meet on tomorrow (Saturday, 12th December) in a further attempt to resolve the dispute.

On the CT Plus dispute, Unite argues that it is using low wages for workers to fund its expansion. The union warns that CT Plus should not expect expansion of the company to be built “on the back of a low wage culture.”

Unite members at both companies voted to reject the offers and to take strike action. The 24 hour strike by drivers at East London and drivers and other grades at CT Plus will hit public transport and public services, including school buses and community transport services covering East London and the City.

Len McCluskey, Unite assistant general secretary, says:

“I am pleased that the ELBG have agreed to talks, and would urge management to get serious with a serious offer. I hope that CT Plus too will realise the determination of Unite to reach a negotiated settlement, and that this requires a clear message from them that they are prepared to make progress.”

Unite senior regional industrial organiser, Peter Kavanagh, says:

“Our members are extremely loyal and hardworking and will not tolerate this unacceptable behaviour towards them.

“Our members wages at CT Plus put them close to the bottom of the pay league and leave them thousands of pounds worse off than their colleagues in other companies operating in London. They also get no overtime pay and no compensation for working rest days or unsocial hours.

“CT Plus may pride itself on being a social enterprise and a creator of jobs but the cold reality is its expansion is being paid for out of the pockets of low paid bus workers.

“These companies cannot expect to get fat on basement level wages for its workforces, in one of the most expensive cities in the world, and get away with it. All our members want is to be treated fairly and we urge management of both companies to get back to the negotiating table with a fair and reasonable offer to end these disputes.”

The strike at the ELBG will affect 58 routes and about 750 buses across East London and the City including night buses.

ELBG routes affected during the industrial action will be:
D3, 5, 8, 15 (including Heritage Route 15), 25, 26, 30, 48, 55, 56, 62, 69, 86, 97, 101, 103, 104, 106, 115, 145, 147, 158, 169, 175, 205, 230, 238, 241, 247, 257, 262, 276, 277, 287, 294, 296, 300, 325, 330, 366, 369, 376, 387, 396, 473, 496, 608, 647, 674, 678, 687, N8, N15, N26, N55, N86 and N550.

The garages affected are at Barking, Bow, Leyton, Romford, Upton Park and West Ham.

The 24-hour stoppage will affect the following CT Plus services: 153, 388, 394 and W13 TFL routes; The Richard Cloudesley Islington School Buses; Capital Call Car Service Call Centre; Scootability – Scooter Hire Service in Camden; The Olympic Park Transport (CT Plus drivers transport construction workers across the Olympic site); All administration posts within CT Plus; The CT Plus Engineering Department; The HCT Group Transport Department (minibuses); The Learning Centre at CT Plus.

Combined, that constitutes a very large amount of potential industrial action.

Strikes and disputes are now escalating on the bus network, yet there seems little or no appetite from the mayor to work to resolve these disputes that will lead to serious disruption to thousands of Londoners.

That’s hardly surprising given Boris Johnson’s record on London’s buses – likely cuts to some services, an eleven per cent increase in the price of a single Oyster bus journey this year, a twenty per cent increase in the price of the same ticket this coming January, a planned twenty per cent rise in the cost of a weekly bus pass, bus fares to riseover twelve per cent overall…while revenue is choked off from the most polluting car drivers and revenue from the congestion charge is to be slashed when the western extension goes.

Londoners would be right to ask why the mayor seems so reluctant to help resolve these disputes and why on Boris Johnson’s watch employee relations  are in such a poor state. Farepayers and workers providing essential public services are being made to pay.