Planned bus strikes on London’s network planned for tomorrow and Monday have been postponed by Unite, as it sought to bring the capital’s 18 operators to the negotiating table.
The ‘act of goodwill’ was designed to facilitate talks over a collective forum covering the pay and conditions of London’s bus workers, the unions said, as it seeks to win a single pay framework for bus workers similar to that already used on the Underground.
Unite states the differences between bus operator’s payments means workers can be paid £3 less an hour with pay varying from £9.30 to £12.34 an hour depending on the company.
Unite has also raised concerns that Transport for London (TfL) has been interfering in the dispute in an unlawful manner.
It has requested TfL’s board members sign a neutrality statement vowing not to block talks aimed at resolving the dispute between the union and London’s 18 bus operators.
Leon Daniels, Transport for London's managing director of surface transport, 'categorically refuted' the claims.
‘We welcome the postponement of the strikes and are delighted that bus passengers will not be further inconvenienced,’ he added. ‘We continue to urge Unite and the bus companies to meet individually to resolve their differences.’
So far over 20,000 bus workers have taken part in two days of strike action, causing widespread disruption – the latest was last Thursday.
