Notting Hill Carnival: 48-hour bus strike to hit bank holiday weekend

London United bus

A second 48-hour bus strike in parts of London could affect those attending the Notting Hill Carnival.

Trade union Unite said 1,600 drivers at bus company London United, owned by the French firm RATP, would strike on Sunday and Monday.

The first Notting Hill Carnival since 2019 is being held this bank holiday weekend.

Transport for London (TfL) says 10% of its bus network will be affected and so customers should leave extra time.

It also advises people to check before they travel and should be aware there might be busier services.

Sixty-three bus routes in west and south-west London will again be affected, as well as parts of Surrey.

Real terms pay cut

Unite claims the dispute is a result of the workers only being offered a pay increase of 3.6% for 2022 and 4.2% for next year, saying it would be a "real terms pay cut" because the real inflation rate (RPI) stands at 12.3%.

A spokesperson for RATP said: "We call on Unite to return to the negotiating table so that drivers can receive their pay rise and we can restore services to passengers without further delay."

But Unite general secretary Sharon Graham said RATP can "fully afford" to pay its workers a decent pay increase rather than an effective reduction.

She said: "Our members play a vital role in keeping London moving and they are not going to accept a real-terms pay cut when they are already worried about how to make ends meet."

A spokesperson for TFL claimed: "The carnival won't be severely disrupted due to only a small number of bus routes being cancelled."

TfL said bus trips stood at 87% of pre-pandemic levels last Friday, the first day of a 48-hour walkout.

There were long queues for buses in parts of the capital during rush hour, and for taxis outside some major stations throughout the day.

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