Nearly 1,000 Bus Drivers Striking for Ten Days


Employees of Abellio taking industrial action in pay dispute


Abellio buses. Picture: Unite

Nearly 1,000 bus drivers employed by Abellio are planning to strike for ten days before the end of the year in a dispute over pay.

The company has depots across west and south west London and many local routes will be affected by the strikes which, on some days are likely to coincide with industrial action on other forms of public transport.

Industrial action will begin on Tuesday 22 November and drivers will also strike on the 25, 26 of this month. They will be followed by further strikes on 1, 2, 3, 9, 10, 16 and 17 December.

The bus drivers are based at garages in Battersea, Beddington, Hayes, Southall, Twickenham and Walworth. A list of routes likely to be affected is given in the table below.

Their union, Unite, says that the dispute is a result of the company failing to enter into meaningful pay talks despite an earlier commitment to do so. Workers’ pay is due to increase from January 2023, but Unite says Abellio has failed even to make an initial pay offer.

Unite general secretary Sharon Graham said, “Abellio is a vastly wealthy multinational company that could and should be paying its workers a fair pay increase. With workers struggling to cope with rampant inflation, Abellio’s failure to even enter into meaningful pay talks is cold-hearted and callous.

“Unite is now entirely focused on defending and enhancing the jobs, pay and conditions of its members and the bus drivers at Abellio will be receiving the union’s complete support.”

The union claims that the company is paying among the lowest rates for bus drivers in London, which is creating a severe retention crisis. Unite further alleges that the company is only managing to maintain its schedules due to a huge reliance on overtime, making its operations unsustainable.

Unite regional officer Guy Langston: “The strike action will cause widespread disruption across the London bus network, most notably in South and West London, but this dispute is entirely of Abellio’s own making. It has had every opportunity to enter into meaningful pay negotiations, but it has chosen not to do so.”

“The delay in offering a pay increase is causing extreme distress to the workers who are increasingly struggling to make ends meet and pay even for the basics.”

A response has been requested from Abellio.

Routes Operated by Abellio

No.

Route

 3

Crystal Palace - West Dulwich - Brixton - Kennington - Westminster - Trafalgar Square

 24

Hampstead Heath - Camden Town - Tottenham Court Road - Westminster - Victoria - Pimlico

 27

Hammersmith - Kensington - Paddington - Camden Town - Chalk Farm

 45

Clapham Park - Brixton Hill - Brixton - Camberwell - Walworth - Elephant & Castle

 63

Honor Oak - Peckham - Trafalgar Avenue - Elephant & Castle - Blackfriars - King's Cross

 68

West Norwood - Herne Hill - Camberwell - Walworth - Elephant & Castle - Waterloo - Aldwych - Holborn - Euston

 109

Croydon - Norbury - Streatham - Brixton

 111

Heathrow Airport Central - Cranford - Heston - Hounslow - Hanworth - Hampton - Hampton Court - Kingston

 130

New Addington – Addington – Shirley Park – Norwood Junction – Thornton Heath

 156

Wimbledon - Southfields - Wandsworth - Clapham Junction - Queenstown Road - Vauxhall

 159

Streatham – Brixton – Kennington – Westminster – Oxford Circus

 195

Charville Lane - Wood End - Hayes - Bulls Bridge - Southall - Ealing Hospital - Hanwell - Boston Manor - Brentford

 196

Norwood Junction – West Norwood – Herne Hill – Brixton – Stockwell – Vauxhall – Elephant & Castle

 201

Morden - Mitcham Road - Mitcham - Streatham - Streatham Hill - Tulse Hill Station - Thurlow Park Road - Herne Hill

 207

Hayes By-Pass - Hanwell - Ealing - Acton - Shepherd's Bush - White City

 267

Fulwell - Twickenham - Isleworth - Brentford - Turnham Green - Hammersmith

 270

Mitcham - Tooting - Earlsfield - Wandsworth - Putney Bridge

 278

Ruislip - Ickenham - Hillingdon - Hayes End - Wood End - Hayes - Harlington - Heathrow Central

 285

Heathrow Airport Central - Hatton Cross - Feltham - Uxbridge Road - Hampton Hill - Teddington - Kingston

 315

West Norwood Station - York Hill - Gleneldon Road - Streatham - Bedford Hill - Balham

 322

Crystal Palace - Gipsy Hill - West Dulwich - West Norwood - Herne Hill - Railton Road - Brixton - Clapham Common

 344

Clapham Junction - Battersea - Vauxhall - Lambeth - Elephant & Castle - Southwark Bridge - Liverpool Street Station

 345

Peckham - Camberwell - Brixton - Stockwell - Clapham Common - Clapham Junction - Battersea - South Kensington

 350

Hayes and Harlington Station - Heathrow Terminal 5 via Stockley Park, West Drayton and Harmondsworth

 367

Bromley - Shortlands - Beckenham - Elmers End - Shirley Oaks - Addiscombe - West Croydon

 381

Waterloo (County Hall) - Peckham Bus Station via London Bridge, Bermondsey and Rotherhithe

 407

Caterham - Whyteleafe - Purley - South Croydon - Croydon - Waddon - Wallington Green - Carshalton - Sutton

 415

Tulse Hill • Brixton • Kennington • Elephant & Castle • Old Kent Road, Tesco

 427

Uxbridge - Ealing Hospital - Ealing Broadway - Acton

 433

Addington Interchange - Forestdale - Selsdon Vale - Selsdon - Croham Valley - Croydon

 464

Tatsfield Village / Old Ship - New Addington Tram Stop

 482

Southall – Convent Way – Hounslow West – Hatton Cross – Heathrow (Terminal 4) – Heathrow (Terminal 5)

 490

Heathrow Airport Terminal 5 - Heathrow Airport Cargo Area - Heathrow Airport Terminal 4 - Hatton Cross - Feltham - Staines Road - Twickenham - Richmond - Richmond Pools on the Park

 969

Gladstone Avenue Whitton - Roehampton Vale / Asda

 C10

Canada Water – Rotherhithe – Bermondsey – Elephant & Castle – Lambeth Bridge – Pimlico – Victoria

 E5

Southall, Toplocks Estate – Perivale, Tesco

 E7

Ruislip Station – Earling Broadway, Haven Greem

 E10

Islip Manor - Northolt - Smith's Farm - Ferrymead - Greenford - Castlebar Hill - Ealing

 E11

Greenford - Elthorne Heights - Castle Bar Park - West Ealing - Ealing - Warwick Drive

 H20

Hounslow - Ivybridge via Worton Road

 H25

Hatton Cross - Butts Farm via Bedfont, Feltham and Hanworth

 H26

Hatton Cross - Sparrow Farm via Bedfont, Bedfont Lakes and Feltham

 H28

Bulls Bridge - Osterley (Tesco) via Heston, Hounslow and Spring Grove

 P5

Nine Elms Patmore Estate - Lansdowne Way - Stockwell - Clapham North - Bedford Road - Brixton - Loughborough Park - Myatts Fields - Brandon Estate - Walworth - Elephant & Castle

 P13

Streatham - Downton Avenue - Tulse Hill Station - Dulwich Common - Underhill Road - East Dulwich Sainsbury's - Avondale Rise - Peckham - New Cross Gate Sainsbury's

 R68

Kew Retail Park - Hampton Court via Richmond, Twickenham and Teddington

 R70

Richmond - Hampton (Nurserylands) via Twickenham, Hampton Hill and Hanworth

 S4

Roundshaw - Woodcote Green - Wallington - Belmont - Sutton - Benhilton - St Helier

 U5

Hayes - Stockley Park - Stockley Estate - West Drayton - Falling Lane - Colham Green - Pield Heath - Cowley - Uxbridge

 U7

Uxbridge - Hayes Retail Park via Brunel University, Hillingdon Hospital and Charville Lane

 U9

Uxbridge Station - Harefield Hospital via Harefield


Night Services

No.

Route

Frequency

 N3

Oxford Circus - Bromley via Westminster, Brixton, Crystal Palace and Beckenham

Nightly

 24

Hampstead Heath - Camden Town - Tottenham Court Road - Westminster - Victoria - Pimlico

24hr

 27

Hammersmith - Kensington - Paddington - Camden Town - Chalk Farm

24hr

 N63

Crystal Palace - Honor Oak - Peckham - Trafalgar Avenue - Elephant & Castle - Blackfriars - King's Cross

Nightly

 N68

Old Coulsdon – Purley – Croydon – Thornton Heath – West Norwood – Herne Hill – Camberwell – Elephant & Castle – Waterloo – Holborn – Tottenham Court Road Station

Nightly

 N109

Croydon - Norbury - Streatham - Brixton - Kennington - Westminster - Oxford Circus

Nightly

 111

Heathrow Airport Central - Cranford - Heston - Hounslow - Hanworth - Hampton - Hampton Court - Kingston

24hr

 159

Streatham – Brixton – Kennington – Westminster – Oxford Circus

24hr

 N207

Uxbridge - Hayes End - Southall - Hanwell - Ealing - Acton - Shepherd's Bush - Oxford Circus - Holborn

Nightly

 344

Liverpool Street - Clapham Junction via Southwark, Elephant & Castle, Vauxhall and Battersea Park

24hr

 345

Peckham Bus Station – South Kensington Station

24hr

 N381

Trafalgar Square - Peckham via Waterloo, London Bridge, Bermondsey and Rotherhithe

Nightly


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November 11, 2022