Bus drivers' strike to hit 1m commuters

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The 24-hour walkout by staff at First, Metroline and Metrobus looks certain to go ahead in an escalating row over pay.

Thousands of bus drivers and supervisors threatened to strike after company bosses dismissed a cash claim as "utterly unrealistic".

The giant Unite union is demanding a single rate of £30,000 a year across London.

Transport for London warned passengers they face a "frustrating" time trying to get around the capital, with buses out of action across the capital and the Tube more crowded than usual. Now Unite bosses are gearing up for further action, with the threat of other companies becoming involved.

Peter Kavanagh, Unite senior regional organiser, said the difference in pay across London for drivers doing the same job is as much as £6,000.

He said: "There is a startling disparity between bus drivers' pay in the capital, with rosters in some companies seeing many drivers complete 60 hours a week. Not only is this unsafe, it is unfair." The strike puts Unite, the largest union, in direct confrontation with Mayor Boris Johnson, who wants a no-strike deal for Tube workers to prevent the constant threat of disruption to commuters and the London economy.

The walkouts mean no, or a drastically reduced service, on more than 150 routes across the capital.

Pay and conditions are controlled by the individual companies, not TfL.

Adrian Jones, First's London managing director, condemned the strike.

He said: "The union is intent on dragging further bus companies into a strike in pursuit of its fruitless bid to standardise conditions of working and pay in all companies. First's bus drivers are already among the best paid bus workers in London. Between 2003 and 2007, First's bus drivers' pay increased by 34 per cent during which time inflation has risen by only 16 per cent. ."

Mr Jones said only 22 per cent of the workforce had voted in support of previous walkouts "and there is no point in sacrificing further days' pay in pursuit of this utterly unrealistic claim".

TfL criticised both sides for failing to reach an agreement. A spokeswoman said: "The people who will suffer most from this are London's bus passengers and bus drivers themselves."