6,000 London bus workers from 3 different companies have been taking co-ordinated strike action in pursuit of a basic wage of £30,000. Since privatisation, drivers from different companies have different wages and conditions. The companies argue that they need to be competitive, i.e. offer lower wages than competitors to get work. There is no justification for bus drivers being on different rates of pay if they do the same job. This strike has been building up for years and is long overdue.
Privatisation was the Cause
Peter Kavanagh, Unite senior regional official said: "Our members are striking because of the employers’ and Boris Johnson’s failure to listen to them. There is a shocking difference between bus drivers’ pay in London, with rosters in some companies seeing many drivers’ complete nearly 60 hours per week.
The workers of two more bus companies have now also balloted to join the strike action. This is an important step forward to have co-ordinated action between bus companies to achieve the same rate of pay. While it may be in the interest of the bus companies to divide and rule it certainly is not in ours. It was not such a long time ago that bus drivers were on the same wages and conditions. Privatisation was the cause, united action is the cure."
United Action is the Cure
Reports are that industrial action so far has been solidly supported and that bus garages have been enthusiastically mass picketed. As we go to press a further strike action was planned.
