10 May 2012

London Bus Drivers Balloted Over Strike Action

In an escalation of a row over pay during the Olympic’s, thousands of bus drivers in London are to vote on whether to take strike action.

Unite said it had given 21 bus companies operating in London notice of its intention to ballot up to 21,000 of its members in the capital next week.

The union has asked for a £500 payment to recognise the "massive increase" in workload during the Games.

Transport for London has called for a resolution with minimal disruption.

The union said 800,000 extra passengers were expected to travel on buses during the Games.

It added that other transport workers, including those on London Underground, London Overground, Docklands Light Railways, Network Rail and Virgin, would receive hundreds of pounds in extra payments during the Olympics.

Unite's general secretary Len McCluskey told BBC Radio 5 live that workers "had a right to join in on additional revenue at a time of increased stress".

"What is wrong with the bus companies who are going to earn millions of pounds additional revenue, what's wrong with them saying 'we're going to give a little bit of that to our workers'?"

(H)