With the first London-wide bus strike since 1982 just hours away, the Olympic Delivery Authority (ODA) has coughed up £8.3m in a bid to avert it. And it's not just the ODA that's getting nervous. A lot of politicians have suddenly woken up to the potential power that the capital's bus workers have.
Boris Johnson said the money will be given to bus firms for negotiations – on condition the strike is cancelled. Unite "cautiously welcomed" the offer but refused to call off the strike until it hears from the bus firms. However, the amount on offer isn't nearly enough to cover the £500 bonus that bus workers are asking for. Unite estimates that would cost £14 million.
For many months the bus operators and TfL refused to talk to Unite about the bonus – it's only the threat of action that's won anything from them. It is vital that advantage isn't thrown away by calling off the action without winning the full amount.
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2 comments:
extra drivers are being brought in for Olympic specific work from unite branches across the country steps should be made to ensure their non arrival if the employers and tfl stick to their guns
branches nationally are providing extra drivers to drive Olympic specific duties
pressure should be brought to bear on these branches to stop this situation unless an outcome satisfactory to our comrades in London
its about time our industrial muscle was tested
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