Abellio London bus pay dispute intensifies with strikes over festive period and January
Abellio London bus pay dispute intensifies with strikes over festive period and January
Abellio has profits of €401m but has imposed ‘unacceptable’ pay offer
Bus drivers employed by Abellio in South and West London will take a further 11 days of strike action in late December and throughout January in a dispute over pay.
The bus drivers, members of Unite, the UK’s leading union, have already taken 10 days of strike action in November and December. The last strike from the first round of industrial action ended last Saturday (17 December).
The company, which made profits of €401 million in 2021, has imposed an ‘unacceptable’ pay offer. The deal does not meet the drivers’ demands and leaves full time drivers with under two years’ of service on £3.29 less per hour than their colleagues with more than two years.
The dispute initially involved 950 drivers, but the anger amongst the workforce is such that membership of Unite has doubled.
Unite general secretary Sharon Graham said: “Abellio is content to horde mountains of cash but has imposed a completely unacceptable pay offer on its drivers. It is disgraceful behaviour and our members are rightly furious. Unite always fights to defend and improve members’ jobs, pay and conditions and Abellio’s South and West London workforce have their union’s unflinching support.”
The bus drivers are based at garages in Battersea, Beddington, Hayes, Southall, Twickenham and Walworth.
The fresh strikes will take place on 24, 27 and 31 December and 4, 5, 10, 12, 16, 19, 25 and 26 January. More strikes will be scheduled if the dispute is not resolved.
Unite regional officer Guy Langston said: “The travel disruption caused by these strikes is entirely the fault of Abellio’s leadership for acting in such bad faith. The company must come to negotiations and put forward a pay offer our members can accept.”
Unite railway members employed by Abellio East Midlands are also taking strike action over pay.
