London, England: Bus drivers plans to strike again

London bus drivers will stage fresh strikes next month, including one days before the start of theOlympics, in a dispute over extra payments during the Games, a union said today. Thousands of bus workers in the British capital plan to strike on July 5 and July 24, the Unite union said, threatening severe disruption to services ahead of the Games, which open on July 27. Bus drivers are asking for a bonus in recognition of the extra workload they will face during the event, after rail, Underground and airport workers were promised extra remuneration. The workers went on strike on June 22, causing travel chaos for tens of thousands of passengers, and union leaders warned that further strikes could bring London to a standstill. Three bus companies obtained a High Court injunction preventing their employees joining that strike but Unite says it is re-balloting its members at the firms over the latest action. The union is seeking a bonus of £500 (USD 775, 620 euros) for its 21,000 members at 20 firms. It accused bus operators of playing “a dangerous game of brinkmanship”, claiming that their failure to meet the demands of bus workers was pushing strike action closer to the Games. Read article