Around 7,500 bus drivers across the UK are either striking or preparing for industrial action in disputes over pay and working conditions. The nationwide action affects major cities including Bristol, London, Cardiff, Manchester, Newcastle, Brighton, and Swindon.
Strikes involving 2,000 London United workers in West London, 550 First workers in Bristol, 450 Cardiff Bus workers and 70 Go South West workers in Swindon have already been announced. Further strikes involving thousands more bus workers are planned across other towns and cities in the coming weeks.
Union demands better conditions
Unite general secretary Sharon Graham said: "Bus employers everywhere need to get the message loud and clear: driver pay simply does not reflect the stresses and strains of the job. Fatigue, a lack of toilets, abuse and even assaults are a daily occurrence."
She added: "Unite will fight tooth and nail for bus workers until wages and conditions improve across the sector." The union has previously reported that bus drivers face increasing abuse at work and are more likely to suffer mental and physical ill health than other professions due to job stress.
Broader transport disruption
The bus strikes coincide with planned London Underground RMT strikes from September 5-11 and DLR strikes from September 7, according to reports, creating widespread transport disruption across the capital. Workers facing dangerous conditions during heatwaves can legally remove themselves from "serious and imminent danger" under the Employment Rights Act 1996 section 44, according to the Morning Star.
Unite is campaigning for improvements to rest breaks, toilet facilities and shift patterns to reduce driver fatigue. The union has overseen 167 bus disputes since 2023 involving 42,626 workers across the sector.
Sources used: "bristolpost.co.uk", "morningstaronline.co.uk", "Express"
Note: This article has been edited with the help of Artificial Intelligence.
