Bus drivers in London are to stage a fresh wave of strikes in a dispute over pay - with walkouts scheduled for Christmas Eve and New Year’s Eve.
Members of Unite employed by Abellio in south and west London will strike for 11 days in late December and throughout January.
The bus drivers have already taken 10 days of strike action in recent months.
The dispute initially involved 950 drivers, but union Unite said its membership has since doubled.
Unite general secretary Sharon Graham said: “Abellio is content to hoard 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 fresh strikes will take place on 24, 27 and 31 December and 4, 5, 10, 12, 16, 19, 25 and 26 January.
Unite said more strikes will be scheduled if the dispute is not resolved.
Jon Eardley, Managing Director of Abellio London, said he is “deeply disappointed” Unite members have opted to strike.
“We urge Unite to recognise Abellio’s 12 % pay deal and encourage their members to resume normal services,” he said. “The Abellio pay deal comes with no conditions and sees bus driver basic pay rise by an average of £100 per week and over £5,000 per year, bringing an established bus driver’s salary to around £40,000 per year. We also currently pay one of the highest rates in London for new bus drivers.
“The pay deal will be implemented in January 2023 to ensure that all drivers benefit from a significant uplift in salary, despite Unite not allowing members the opportunity to express their views via a ballot.
“We are deeply disappointed that despite this offer Unite plan to continue strike action over Christmas and into the New Year, bringing further disruption to hundreds of thousands of Londoners.”
Louise Cheeseman, Director of Buses at TfL, said: “We apologise for any disruption caused to Londoners.
“There still will be options for people to travel in west and south London, but other routes may be busier than normal. We’re encouraging everyone in these areas to plan ahead, check before they travel and leave more time for their journeys, especially over the Christmas and New Year period.
“Our free TfL Go app and website are really easy ways to check your travel. We urge Unite and Abellio to work together to find a solution to this dispute.”
