The 329 is one of seven routes serving Palmers Green that will be disrupted by up to four days of strike action this month (photo: London Bus Routes Histories)
Up to four days of strikes by drivers employed by Arriva London North are set to disrupt bus travel in Palmers Green and throughout north London this month.
1,700 members of Unite the Union will strike initially on Tuesday 20th and Wednesday 21st June, followed by a further two days of strike on Tuesday 27th June and Wednesday 28th June. If the pay dispute isn’t resolved further strikes will be called.
All main bus routes running through Palmers Green will be affected: the 329, 121, W6, 141, 34 and 102, as well as the W4, which serves the Tottenhall Road area. Only buses operated by other companies will be running, but these are all single-deck routes, none of which serve the centre of Palmers Green: the W9, 456 and 232.
Unite says that the drivers have rejected an offer of a seven per cent pay increase, which is an effective real terms pay cut because the real inflation rate (RPI) is standing at 11.4 per cent. According to the union, drivers start on pay rates of just £13.65 an hour, which they report they cannot afford to live on in London.
Arriva, which runs buses and trains throughout the UK, is owned by Deutsche Bahn, one of the largest transport companies in the world and effectively owned by the German government. According to Unite, during the last 10 years, Arriva’s UK bus division has paid £560 million to Deutsche Bahn in Germany in profit transfers, while Deutsche Bahn has paid dividends of £5 billion to the German government.
Unite general secretary Sharon Graham said: “Arriva is an extremely wealthy company but it has got its priorities all wrong. It needs to be concentrating on paying its workers fairly rather than providing the German government with huge dividends.
“Unite is totally focussed on the jobs, pay and conditions of its members and the bus drivers at Arriva will receive the union’s complete support.”
Unite regional officer Steven Stockwell said: “The strike action is set to create travel chaos across London but this dispute is totally of Arriva’s own making. It has had every chance to make our members an offer that meets their expectations but has refused to do so.”
In response, an Arriva spokesman said: “We remain focused on offering a fair and affordable pay deal and urge Unite to call off their planned action and resume talks.”
A spokesperson for Transport for London adds: “We encourage both parties to get round the table and find a solution.”
The complete list of routes affected is: 19, 29, 34, 38, 41, 73, 78, 102, 121, 123, 141, 144, 149, 150, 158, 175, 191, 192, 221, 242, 243, 253, 254, 259, 279, 307, 313, 318, 325, 329, 340, 341, 349, 377, 675, W3, W4, W6, N19, N29, N38, N41, N73, N102, N123, N149, N158, N242, N243, N253, N279, N341
