London transport: Abellio bus company staff to hold further strikes in London

Some bus workers in London are due to take further strike action next month after rejecting a 5% pay rise offer.

About 40 staff who work in the control rooms for Abellio buses are set to walk out on 7, 8, 9, 17, 19, 22 and 27 to 29 March, the Unite union said.

Unite said the 5% pay increase for 2023 was a "substantial real-terms pay cut".

Abellio has been asked for a response but previously said the deal was in line with its offer to its other workers across the business.

Routes impacted are mostly in south and south-west London.

The planned strikes come after the union members walked out on five dates in January and February.

Affected staff use satellite GPS systems to monitor bus routes across London and tell drivers about traffic jams or accidents and are based at Battersea and Twickenham bus garages.

The union said the workers "already earn approximately £10,000 per year less than similar staff at other bus companies" and had been offered "a smaller pay increase than that offered to members doing the same job at competitor companies".

Unite regional officer Maxine Loza said: "Abellio's refusal to come back to the negotiating table with an improved offer will cause traffic chaos for Londoners.

"Without these vital workers, buses don't run on time and driver and passenger safety is jeopardised."

A spokesperson for Abellio previously said the action was "disappointing" and it had been negotiating with the union on the pay offer since April 2023.

It said drivers had been given an unconditional offer of a 5% increase in salary, back paid to January 2023, which was "in line with increases made to other groups of staff within the business".

The routes impacted include: 24, 27, 111, 156, 159, 267, 285, 322, 344, 345, 415 , 490, 969, H20, H25, H26, R68, R70.

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