Planned bus strike action affecting several east London routes has been suspended, according to an update from Transport for London.
The strike had been due to affect routes 8, 25, 205, 425, N8, N25 and N205, operated by Stagecoach London from Bow Bus Garage.
TfL’s strikes page previously stated that services would be affected from 05:00 on Thursday 11 June until 05:00 on Monday 15 June.
However, TfL has since updated its page to state that the planned bus strikes in east London have been suspended.
London Bus Forums News published this article at around 8pm on Tuesday, when TfL’s public travel advice still warned that services would be affected. The article has now been updated to reflect TfL’s latest position.
London Bus Forums News has contacted TfL and Unite for further clarification, including when the strike action was suspended, why it was suspended and whether the underlying dispute over fatigue, duties and working conditions remains ongoing.
The industrial action had formed part of a continuing dispute between Unite and Stagecoach London over driver fatigue, working conditions, duties and recovery time between shifts.
Drivers had raised fatigue concerns
Drivers involved in the dispute had raised concerns about long duties, reduced recovery time and the impact of current schedules on their welfare.
One driver previously told London Bus Forums News that some duties can leave drivers with around nine-and-a-half hours’ rest between shifts, before being expected to return to work the following day.
The driver said that while this may fall within working time rules, it does not always reflect the reality of finishing late, travelling home, eating, sleeping and then preparing to return to work safely.
They told London Bus Forums News:
“We are human, but they’re treating us like machines.”
Drivers say the issue is not simply the number of hours written on paper, but whether the current schedules allow proper rest and recovery in real-world conditions.
They also raised concerns about the wider safety implications of fatigue for both drivers and passengers.
TfL had previously warned passengers that services on the affected routes may be severely delayed or cancelled during the planned strike period.
The affected routes were listed as:
8, 25, 205, 425, N8, N25 and N205
TfL’s latest update now states that the planned strikes have been suspended.
Unite says fatigue is at the centre of the dispute
Speaking to London Bus Forums News during the previous strike action in March, Michael Plummer, Unite Convenor for Stagecoach London, said fatigue was the central issue behind the dispute.
He said drivers at Bow had raised concerns following the introduction of new duties in May and June last year, which Unite considers unacceptable.
Mr Plummer said one of the issues raised by drivers was joint compilation, where work from more than one route can be combined into the same duty. He said drivers at Bow want to move away from those arrangements and return to earlier duty schedules, which they believe were more manageable and gave them better recovery time.
He told London Bus Forums News:
“Fatigue really. We’ve had new duties come in May and June last year and they’re unacceptable.”
Mr Plummer said the dispute was also about the way schedules had changed, including additional tasks expected of drivers and what Unite views as cost-cutting.
He added that while the company may describe the issue as cost, Unite sees it differently:
“They call it cost. We choose to call it profit.”
Unite’s position is that drivers want to revert back to duty cards and timeframes closer to those used in previous years, which they argue gave drivers more manageable working days and better recovery time.
London Bus Forums News previously spoke to drivers and Unite representatives at the Bow picket line during earlier strike action in March.
Unite has accused Stagecoach London of failing to properly listen to drivers at Bow Bus Garage and of worsening the dispute instead of resolving it.
John Murphy, Unite regional officer, said:
“Instead of listening to our members at Bow bus garage, Stagecoach has instead chosen to attempt to break the strike. Despite this, drivers remain united on the picket line and determined to win the fight for better conditions.
“This escalating strike action will no doubt cause further disruption to bus services – but this is the fault of Stagecoach. There is time to avoid further industrial action but that relies on it coming back to negotiations and working with Unite to resolve, not worsen, driver fatigue.”
The comments come as the dispute remains live, despite further talks taking place between Unite and Stagecoach London management. Stagecoach rejects the suggestion that its schedules are unsafe and says duties are compiled within legal limits and agreed parameters.
Stagecoach says duties are within legal limits
London Bus Forums News asked Stagecoach London for a comment on the latest strike action, Unite’s concerns and the ongoing fatigue dispute.
A spokesperson for Stagecoach said:
“Before the industrial action started, we had many months of detailed discussions with Unite representatives at Bow, during which we made a number of changes and suggestions in response to their concerns, although some requests were not practical to implement.
“It is important to emphasise that all schedules, driver duties and rotas are compiled strictly within the law governing drivers’ hours, as well as our long-standing agreements with Unite, all of which are designed with safe operation in mind. Average times on and off duty have not significantly changed and remain comfortably within agreed parameters. We remain willing to continue discussions with union representatives.
“Fatigue is a complex issue with multiple contributing factors, of which hours of work are only one element. We are industry leaders in having a fatigue policy and action plan in place to safeguard our people.
“There is no reason for any driver to work while fatigued – they are encouraged to speak up if they are not safe to drive, both before and during duties, and are not financially penalised for doing so. Safety remains our priority.”
While Stagecoach maintained that its schedules complied with the law and agreed parameters, Unite and drivers involved in the dispute had argued that the arrangements were unacceptable.
London Bus Forums News will update this article if TfL, Unite or Stagecoach provide further information on why the planned strike action was suspended and whether the underlying dispute has been resolved.
