World News
London bus drivers resume strike over high temperatures and air conditioning concerns
About 1,500 drivers at Arriva North London are striking for four days, citing fears that cab cooling upgrades will not be completed by next summer.
The short version
- Around 1,500 bus drivers across north London and Essex began a four-day strike on Tuesday over excessive cab heat during heatwaves.
- The industrial action follows a rejection of Arriva's recent offer by workers at three out of eight garages who doubt that proposed fleet cooling upgrades will be done by next summer.
- More strikes are scheduled for September and October if the union and the operator cannot reach a mutually acceptable agreement.
Key facts
- About 1,500 bus drivers represented by the Unite union are participating in a four-day strike from Tuesday to Friday across north London and Essex.[The Guardian]
- Drivers have reported experiencing cab temperatures above 30C, and sometimes exceeding 40C, which they say leads to heatstroke, dehydration, and heat exhaustion.[The Guardian]
- Although Arriva and Unite reached an agreement during talks last week, workers at three of the eight affected garages voted to reject the offer.[The Guardian]
- Arriva North London has proposed retrofitting air conditioning systems across its fleet of 730 buses, but workers express concern that the upgrades will not be ready by next summer.[The Guardian]
- The eight affected garages are Barking, Edmonton, Enfield, Grays, Palmers Green, Stamford Hill, Tottenham, and Wood Green.[The Guardian]
What remains uncertain
- It remains unclear if Arriva will be able to accelerate the timeline of the air conditioning upgrades to satisfy the concerns of the three objecting garages.[The Guardian]