Bus drivers to strike next Monday with transport across South London disrupted

London bus drivers will go on strike next week after rejecting a pay offer from Arriva. The strikes will take place on Monday, and will involve drivers based around Croydon, Norwood and Thornton Heath.

The drivers going on strike are members of Unite who are employed by Arriva. Unite said Arriva initially offered workers a pay deal of 1.5 per cent, which the union said was a real-term pay cut as inflation climbs to 8.2 per cent. The union said the company belatedly improved the offer but it still failed to meet members’ expectations.

The drivers were due to stage a 24-hour walkout last week, but following last-minute negotiations this was suspended to allow the workers to be balloted over the offer. At the time, Unite said that if the bus drivers rejected the pay offer, a 48-hour stoppage scheduled to begin on March 28 will go ahead.

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Unite general secretary Sharon Graham said: “Arriva’s bus drivers are fed up with being taken for granted. This is a profitable business that can well afford fair wages – it needs to get real on the pay offer to our members. Our members at Arriva will have the union’s total support until the company makes a fair offer and this dispute is resolved.”

Unite said that is there is no imminent breakthrough in the dispute then further industrial action will be announced.

The depots affected operate services across South and Central London, and while the full list of routes hit by the strike has not been revealed, MyLondon has been told passengers should expect every bus route that operates out of any of the depots to be impacted.

List of all bus routes

Route 2- West Norwood to Marylebone Station