London bus workers’ second strike – picket reports

London bus workers began their second day of strike action in their current action to win one set of pay levels, terms and conditions for the job across London, in a very determined mood.
Despite claims by management that there is very little disruption the truth is there for all to see with dramatically less buses on London’s streets than usual.
Some garages are shut completely. There are still big numbers on picket lines with members of the public continuing to give their support.
This strike is the first of three one-day strikes over the next eleven days, which show the bosses that London bus workers mean business.

West Ham

West Ham bus garage, picket on 5.2.15, photo by R Williams

West Ham bus garage, picket on 5.2.15, photo by R Williams   (Click to enlarge: opens in new window)

There was a determined and confident mood at West Ham garage. As I got off the tube there was an advanced guard of two pickets in Unite hats and jackets who were keeping an eye out for management trying to ferry scab drivers in. But they came back to the picket line because there were no scabs to see!

A few drivers bought copies of the Socialist and everyone took a leaflet. As the snow began to fall, it was the signal for the pickets to put together their new marquee, far bigger than last time.

Transport for London and the bus bosses should be warned, bus workers are settling in for a long battle. As I left, one of the pickets said “see you a week Friday!”, referring to their next strike day.

Rob Williams

Putney

Putney bus garage, 5.2.15, photo by Helen Pattison

Putney bus garage, 5.2.15, photo by Helen Pattison   (Click to enlarge: opens in new window)

There were 30-40 picketers and a dog outside Putney garage this morning. Management lined up buses in a bus lane up the hill from the garage in an attempt to make scabbing easier. We have seen technicians made to drive buses also.

However, most of the buses that are out of the garage aren’t being driven, because they aren’t enough drivers.

There is a noticeable increased police presence compared with the previous strike. Seven police officers were posted here from 2:30am, with four to remain here until 1pm when another team will swap with them. The picket last time was peaceful and there is no reason for this reaction.

The picket line has been visited by a local TUSC parliamentary election candidate, giving support.

Helen Pattison

Bow

The picket at Bow Garage, photo N Byron

The picket at Bow Garage, photo N Byron   (Click to enlarge: opens in new window)

At Bow Garage around 50 pickets braved the snow and the cold. A brazier and a constant supply of burgers, sausages and tea and coffee helped.

Only a handful of buses went out to serve several usually incredibly busy routes, a fraction of the normal service.

Paul Williams, the union rep, said: “People here feel very strongly about winning equal pay. You can have five different rates for one bus route! Companies are trying to reduce the rate all the time.

“Arriva South are paying £8.30 an hour to some drivers. We have 123 buses here and two thirds of them are still in the garage.”

TUSC prospective parliamentary candidates Glyn Robbins (centre) and Hugo Pierre (right) supporting the Bow garage picket, photo N Byron

TUSC prospective parliamentary candidates Glyn Robbins (centre) and Hugo Pierre (right) supporting the Bow garage picket, photo N Byron   (Click to enlarge: opens in new window)

Tower Hamlets TUSC prospective parliamentary candidates Glyn Robbins (Bethnal Green & Bow) and Hugo Pierre (Poplar & Limehouse) both came down to give solidarity to strikers and got a good response.

When we said that Len McCluskey, Unite general secretary, has threatened that Unite will break with Labour if it gets into government and makes cuts, one picket said: ‘Why is he waiting till then? He should do it now!”

Another, who lives locally, signed up to the TUSC email list for info about supporting our candidates.

Naomi Byron
Holloway garage during the London bus strike for sector wide negotiation, photo by Steve Score

Holloway garage during the London bus strike for sector wide negotiation, photo by Steve Score   (Click to enlarge: opens in new window)

Stockwell

There was significant disruption to services and around 15 pickets holding the line at this Go Ahead garage.

Some spoke about bullying by ‘accident prevention’ managers. One driver was blamed for a drunk piling into his back; another for a van charging into him at a red light! The mood was subdued but positive.

Pickets were pleased the fight they have been talking about for years has finally begun.

James Ivens

Wood Green

As the snow came down before dawn this morning, bus strike pickets at Wood Green explained why they knew they had to fight on.

“We need a serious fight but we’re up for it. These companies make millions in profit. Transport for London give them enough money to pay us decent wages but they pocket the cash.

“TfL could solve this tomorrow if they wanted to. They could tell the companies to pay up or lose the contract.

“But actually they’re all on the same side. Arriva force new starters to stay on the starter rate for eight years!”

Palmers Green

Palmers Green garage during the London bus strike on 05.02.15, photo Paula Mitchell

Palmers Green garage during the London bus strike on 05.02.15, photo Paula Mitchell   (Click to enlarge: opens in new window)

At Palmers Green strikers warmed themselves round the brazier while discussing questions ranging from how to organise better in the union to who to vote for in the general election. Everyone agreed bus privatisation had been a disaster – but who would do anything about it?

Socialist Party members told drivers about how all Trade Unionist and Socialist Coalition election candidates stand for taking privatised public services and utilities back into public ownership, under democratic control.

Paula Mitchell

Waterloo

Little moving and a determined mood. Drivers view it as a long game against an employers’ cartel. Managers at this depot (described with colourful language) are not giving any overtime to anyone who’s been on strike.

Many drivers rely on overtime given levels of pay. I extended an open invitation to speak at Lambeth TUSC meetings, in particularly our election launch meeting on 3 March.

Steve Nally, TUSC prospective parliamentary candidate

Barking

The strike at the Stagecoach bus garage in Barking was 100% solid, with only management taking out one or two busses into stationary traffic backed up for two hours of the rush hour.

The bus workers want one pay scale and one set of terms and conditions for all London’s bus drivers. Workers told us that, calculated fairly, many were working 90 hours Saturday to Saturday.

The different pay grades meant newer workers were earning up to £100 less each week than longer serving drivers.

Unite rep for the garage, Steve Holbourn, said: “This is our second day of action. We are still asking the bus operators to speak to us, and we are going to continue until that happens.

Pickets at Barking bus garage, 05.02.15, photo by Pete Mason

Pickets at Barking bus garage, 05.02.15, photo by Pete Mason   (Click to enlarge: opens in new window)

“TFL have made a big noise about it costing £100 million to put this right. But if 6.5 million people journey on London buses a day at £1.50 each, that’s near enough £10 million – so over ten days that equals that £100 million.

“That gives Mr Johnson 355 days at £10 million to run his bus service, so the numbers we’re talking about are small.

“We don’t wish to take this action, we just want the companies to talk to us.”

Barking Trade Unionist and Socialist Coalition prospective candidate Joseph Mambuliya visited the picket line offering his support for the workers, and asked: “When was the last time that Barking Labour MP Margaret Hodge visited a picket line?”

Pete Mason

Northumberland Park

Bus drivers picketing at Northumberland Park, 05.02.14, photo by Jim Horton

Bus drivers picketing at Northumberland Park, 05.02.14, photo by Jim Horton   (Click to enlarge: opens in new window)

There was a fantastic picket line at Northumberland Park bus garage. It was very lively, trees were bedecked with Unite flags, music was blaring and BBQ chicken and rice were gratefully received by the pickets on this very cold morning.

The mood of the more than 40 bus drivers picketing the depot was upbeat and determined.

The sight of row upon row of stationary buses with destination ‘Not in Service’ gave lie to management claims that nearly half the buses in London were running.

Bus drivers reading the Socialist Party strike bulletin at Northumberland Park garage, photo by Jim Horton

Bus drivers reading the Socialist Party strike bulletin at Northumberland Park garage, photo by Jim Horton   (Click to enlarge: opens in new window)

One driver explained that the small handful of buses currently out on the road would soon be returned to the garage as there were no drivers to take over the shifts.

The local rep explained that the strike was solid with even non-union drivers taking action. Most heartening, he said, was the solid support from senior drivers who, notwithstanding having nothing to gain financially from today’s action, were striking in solidarity with newer drivers who face several or even perpetual years on inferior pay.

The drivers we spoke to were already looking ahead to the next two days of strikes if management don’t concede.

One driver said that this dispute has been festering for years and now they were adamant that equal pay for all drivers would be achieved.

Jim Horton and Jane James

Ponders End

There was a big picket and a determined mood in the snow at Ponders End bus garage. Pickets made the point that they had lost thousands of pounds as recent pay increases had left them falling behind groups such as workers on the underground.

RMT member and potential TUSC general election candidate Lewis Peacock got a positive reception from pickets when he raised the need for a real workers’ party.

Paul Kershaw

Clapton

As elsewhere in London, pickets at the Clapton bus garage in Hackney kept themselves warm with a log fire and hot cups of tea and coffee. At one point on the wintry morning, a barbecue was unloaded from a car, ready to cook up sausages and beefburgers.

A small number of buses were driven out of the depot by managers to hand over to scab drivers, out of sight of their striking colleagues. “Pretty solid, though, like last time”, commented the pickets. “Less than a dozen out of a total of 338”.

One of the No. 38 drivers said he had been working at the depot for 12 years. He can be going through the centre of London on a quiet weekday morning or a very noisy Saturday night. He and others felt that even the top hourly rate was not sufficient ‘compensation’ for the tough job that drivers have to do.

They now look back to the days when London buses all came under one (public) employer.

“It is totally wrong that a new driver can be on little more than the national minimum wage, doing the kind of job we do”, was one comment, and, “You won’t get much out of Boris unless we all stand together”, was another.

Clare Doyle