Tuesday, November 21, 2006

London bus strike

THOUSANDS of bus drivers in north and west London employed by Metroline, owned by Singapore-based ComfortDelgro Corporation, took strike action last Tuesday in a dispute over pay. This is the first London bus strike in seven years.
The Transport and General Workers’ Union said Metroline bosses had failed to put more money on the table at last minute talks on Monday morning.
An initial offer of three per cent was increased through the negotiations to four per cent, but the union rejected it because it did not meet the drivers and engineers’ claim for a basic rate increase to £11 an hour from the current £10.43.
Further one day strikes are planned on 20th and 27th November if the dispute is not resolved.