Bus strikes August 2022: dates for London strikes announced, which services and routes are affected?

Bus drivers are striking again in the capital

By Matthew Mohan-Hickson

6th Aug 2022, 11:52am

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More than 1,000 bus drivers in London are walking out over the August bank holiday weekend as part of a pay dispute.

Trade union Unite said 1,600 drivers at bus company London United would strike starting today (28 August) and continuing tomorrow (29 August), adding disruption to services which could affect those attending the Notting Hill Carnival.

It is the second London bus strike in August - following the walk outs that took place earlier this month between 19 August and 20 August.

Here is all you need to know:

When is the strike?

Members of Unite employed by London United will walk out on 28 August and 29 August.

Why are bus drivers striking?

Unite claims the dispute is a result of the workers only being offered a pay increase of 3.6% for 2022 and 4.2% for next year, saying it would be a “real terms pay cut” because the real inflation rate (RPI) stands at 12.3%.

What have Unite said?

General secretary Sharon Graham said French firm RATP, which owns London United, was “an incredibly wealthy” company that could afford to raise wages.

She added: “It (RATP) can fully afford to pay its workers a decent pay increase, but it is refusing to do so.

“Our members play a vital role in keeping London moving and they are not going to accept a real terms pay cut when they are already worried about how to make ends meet.”

Unite regional officer Michelle Braveboy added: “Strike action will inevitably cause considerable disruption and delays across west and south London, including for the carnival, but this dispute is entirely of the company’s own making.”

London bus drivers are set to strike this month. (Photo by Martin Pope/Getty Images)

London bus drivers are set to strike this month. (Photo by Martin Pope/Getty Images)

Will strikes disrupt Notting Hill Carnival?

The bus workers involved operate from depots in Fulwell, Hounslow, Hounslow Heath, Park Royal, Shepherd’s Bush and Tolworth.

The Park Royal, Shepherd’s Bush and Stamford Brook depots all serve routes which are in the vicinity of the carnival.

The carnival is traditionally held on the August bank holiday weekend and is normally attended by around two million people.

This year’s event will return to the streets of Notting Hill for the first time since 2019 after being affected by the pandemic over the past two years.

A spokesperson for TFL said: “The carnival won’t be severely disrupted due to only a small number of bus routes being cancelled.

“TfL is doing everything it can to reduce the impact of the strike action and is running as many bus services as possible, however customers are advised to check before they travel and leave extra time for their journeys.”

Have RATP responded to the strikes?

A spokesperson for RATP said: “RATP Dev Transit London remains committed to resolving the dispute as soon as possible and we urge Unite to reconsider our invitation to return to the negotiating table.

“In these difficult times, we are very concerned that should these strikes go ahead, our drivers will be out of pocket for three consecutive weeks and passengers will continue to suffer disruption.

“We call on Unite to return to the negotiating table so that drivers can receive their pay rise and we can restore services to passengers without further delay.”

What services and routes will be affected?

Louise Cheeseman, Director of Buses at TfL, said: “There still will be options for people to travel in west and southwest London and parts of Surrey, but other routes may be busier than normal.

“We’re encouraging everyone who is aiming to travel in and around these areas this Sunday and Monday to plan ahead, check before they travel and leave more time for their journeys.

“Our website is a really easy way to check your travel, whether you’re planning to visit the Notting Hill Carnival, out and about on the bank holiday weekend, or just need to adapt your journey on the go.

“We encourage both parties to find a solution to this dispute to avoid disruption to Londoners.”

The following services and routes will be affected by the strike action:

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