Overview

• Nearly 2,000 London United and London Transit staff will strike on August 29 and September 1 in a dispute over unpaid back pay following First Bus’s purchase of the operators from RATP.
• The London action is expected to affect about 90 routes from eight depots across west and south west London, with warnings of disruption to the school return.
• Unite reports roughly 7,500 members are either striking or being balloted across Birkenhead, Brighton, Bristol, Cardiff, Chorley, London, Manchester, Newcastle, Preston, Stoke and Swindon.
• The union says parts of a pay deal have not been backdated to December and alleges attempts to change pay anniversaries and withhold shift work premiums, while also highlighting fatigue, poor facilities and rising abuse.
• Further stoppages have been announced involving 550 First workers in Bristol, 450 at Cardiff Bus and 70 at Go South West in Swindon, with Cardiff and Newcastle strikes to proceed if current ballots reject deals.