Advice Issued on Dealing with Bus Strike |
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Most routes not operating full service today
Bus services across London have been disrupted today following due to a strike by members of the Unite union. Staff are claiming an extra £500 bonus for working during the Olympics. Earlier this morning TfL said that about a quarter of buses were operating. Staff from 17 London bus firms are not working but those with Arriva, Metroline and Go Ahead were prevented from joining the strike after the firms won an injunction against the unions. Boris Johnson said "I can only conclude that this strike is being driven by hardline trades union militancy and a desire to have a strike for political purposes." TfL say that they secured an extra£8.3m from the Olympic Delivery Authority to enable the bus companies and Unite to resolve their dispute. London regional secretary of the Unite Union said, Peter Kavanagh, said of the injunction: “It begs the question of whether the court has come under any external pressure in making the ruling. Granting an injunction in the face of a massive vote for strike action is an affront to democracy. We are fast becoming a country where justice rules in favour of big business and tramples on the rights of ordinary working men and women." TfL is urging Londoners to utilise the wide range of information available in order to check the status of their usual service. Locally buses out of the Putney, Brentford, Merton and Willesden garages are expected to be in services according to a list of bus routes expected to be operating normally issued by TfL. These options include:
Where services are disrupted TfL urges passengers to use other transport options, or to walk or cycle where possible. The average bus journey is around 2.2 miles so many of these journeys could be made in this way. TfL has put in place a number of measures to help people get around and to manage disruption. These include:
LU will has additional staff in place at key locations to provide help and information to enable customers to complete their journeys.
June 22, 2012 |