London Bus workers take action over pay and conditions
24 July 2008
March and rally outside City Hall
10.30am – assemble at Tower Hill
11.00am – march to City Hall
12.00am – rally and speakers
London’s bus workers and members of Unite the union will today
(Thursday 24th July) march on City Hall to demand one rate of pay
across all bus companies that operate within the capital.
In a recent ballot of Unite’s 28,000 Busworkers 99 percent voted
yes to the proposed single rate of pay across the network.
Unite is calling for a single rate of pay for drivers of £30,000
a year, based on a 38 hour week. Currently the eighteen London bus
companies all operate with different pay structures, with pay
inequalities of up to £6,000 a year.
There is a startling disparity between bus drivers pay in the
capital, with rosters in some companies seeing many drivers’
complete nearly 60 hours per week.
Driving on London’s roads is a potentially hazardous job, and as
a result Unite is calling for standard rosters, scheduling and pay
rates that will remove this culture of excessive working hours on
London’s bus routes.
Peter Kavanagh, Unite Senior Regional Industrial Organiser says:
"If the tendering system, TfL and the employers insist on
continuing with their ‘Race to the Bottom’, our members will be
taking part in a race of their own - a Race to the Picket
Lines!"
Employers are also threatening to introduce lower rates of pay
for new employees and even to set up new ‘low cost’ operations as
sub-divisions, with inferior terms and conditions, in their frenzy
to win or retain contracts for certain routes.
Steve Hart, London Regional Secretary for Unite says: "Boris
Johnson recently described London’s bus drivers as the ‘World’s
finest’. If he really believes this then he needs to act quickly to
end the huge disparities in pay across London’s bus networks. Unite
has written to the Mayor inviting him to comment on our campaign
for Equal Pay for his drivers."
-Ends-
For further information contact:
Jody Whitehill, Unite Press Officer on 020 7420 8938 or 07768
693956
Notes to editors:
10.30am – assemble at Tower Hill
11.00am – march to City Hall
12.00 – short rally with speakers
Speakers include:
Len McClusky, Unite Assistant General Secretary
Steve Hart, Unite London Regional Secretary
Peter Kavanagh, Unite Senior Regional Organiser and coordinator of
London Busworkers campaign
Notes for Journalists:
All from
http://www.tfl.gov.uk/assets/downloads/corporate/london-buses-fact-sheet.pdf
