Arriva (UNITE) Strike Calendar

Strikes by over 1,500 bus drivers at Arriva North London have been postponed after the company presented an improved offer. The walkouts were scheduled to affect over 40 routes across garages in Barking, Edmonton, Enfield, Grays, Palmers Green, Stamford Hill, Tottenham, and Wood Green.

The dispute centers on concerns over unacceptable temperatures for bus drivers. The revised offer will now be put to union members in a ballot.

Strikes by over 1,500 bus drivers working for Arriva North London have been postponed following negotiations. Drivers at the following garages - Barking, Edmonton, Enfield, Grays, Palmers Green, Stamford Hill, Tottenham and Wood Green – walked out on Friday (14 August) and today (18 August) in a dispute about hot weather working and the bullying of Unite members and representatives.

However, following talks between Arriva and Unite, the strike action from tomorrow until early morning Friday (21 August) has been suspended to allow members to be balloted on a new deal on conditions. Should members reject the offer, strike action will resume on Tuesday 25 August.

There will be huge disruption to bus services in North London and Essex from this month, as over 1,500 drivers at eight garages will walk out. Unite members at Arriva North London are taking several days of action, after the employer failed to act on driver complaints about poor working conditions in hot weather.

Most buses operated by Arriva North London have air cooling systems rather than more effective air conditioning. The air cooling system has only managed to reduce temperatures by around two or three degrees during the recent series of heatwaves and driver cabs can reach 40 degrees and higher. Working in hot weather is dangerous for bus drivers. It can exacerbate the problem of fatigue, which puts drivers and the general public at risk as it can lead to crashes. Some drivers have experienced health problems from driving in hot weather this summer, including heat exhaustion, heat stroke and dehydration.

There is set to be major disruption to bus services in North London, as over 1,900 drivers across 10 garages are balloting for strike action. The bus drivers work for Arriva North London. They are preparing to take action as their employer has failed to act on complaints about working conditions on buses during hot weather. Most Arriva North London buses have air cooling systems rather than air conditioning. These take in air from outside and circulate it around and can reduce the ambient temperature by a maximum of 10 degrees Celsius - however bus drivers have said in the latest heatwave temperatures have only reduced by around two or three degrees. This has left drivers working in conditions they have deemed unbearable (with temperatures regularly in the high 30’s) as well as suffering from fatigue that has worsened in the recent heatwave.

This issue has been raised to Arriva North London in previous years, but action has not been taken. Drivers are calling for improvements to buses, including installing air conditioning.

Arriva bus engineers in Luton will strike in April and May over the company’s despicable response to matters of incredibly serious sexual harassment and assault within the workplace. The workers are also striking in defence of a Unite shop steward fired on supposedly unrelated matters after he refused to allow the company to ignore the sexual harassment and assault issue. They believe he was suspended and then dismissed in retaliation for holding the company to account. The individual at the centre of the allegations, who was in a managerial role, is no longer employed after the police were called. The workers, however, are angry that Arriva previously dismissed the allegations as “banter” and “horseplay” and completely failed to offer adequate support to those impacted.

Multiple workers, including young apprentices, reported being subjected to unwanted touching, squeezing and striking, including kicking and striking in sensitive areas. They also reported being exposed to simulated sexual acts and gestures as well as offensive and sexually explicit remarks about close family members. In addition, repeated intimidation, mocking and humiliation of staff was also reported.

Strikes by around 300 Leicester, Hinckley and Coalville Arriva bus workers are off, after Unite, the UK’s leading union, secured an improved pay offer. The drivers, depot and office staff voted in favour of the improved offer, which will see their pay increase by 6.5 per cent from 1 December. Drivers will also receive a one off non-consolidated payment of £1,000 and an improvement to their bank holiday working rate.

Around 300 Leicester, Hinckley and Coalville Arriva bus workers will strike over the main Christmas shopping period, Unite, the UK’s leading union, said today. The drivers, depot and office staff have rejected an inadequate pay offer from Arriva, which made pre-tax profits of €156m in 2024.

Hundreds of workers had voted for industrial action but the employer came back to the negotiating table at the last minute and Unite secured a 6.1 per cent increase for all staff from 21 April 2024. Staff will also receive a £350 lump sum payment.

Arriva North East workers planned to walk out from Sunday over pay. However, the action has been called off as Unite union members consider a new offer.

A week-long strike due to take place from April 7 was also called off while talks took place.

Strikes by Unite members at Arriva Northumbria have been suspended after the employer made a new offer, it was announced today (3 March) Strike action by drivers and engineers, unhappy at being the lowest-paid bus employees in the region, was due to begin on Sunday 7 April for one week. Members are being balloted on Thursday 4 and Friday 5 April this week and, regardless of the outcome, strikes the following week have been suspended.

Over 1,000 bus drivers, who are members of Unite, the UK’s leading union, have rejected an offer worth around 7.3 per cent, as this amounted to a real terms pay cut, with the true inflation rate (RPI) currently standing at 11.3 per cent.

The drivers who are based at depots in Brixton, Norwood, South Croydon and Thornton Heath began balloting this week and the ballot will close on Wednesday 2 August. If the workers vote for strikes then industrial action could begin by the middle of next month.

1. Bus drivers employed by Arriva on North and East London bus routes have suspended planned strike action following an improved pay offer.
2. The improved pay offer was made following extended pay talks on Monday (12 June).
3. If the pay offer is rejected then Unite will announce fresh industrial action.

1,700 bus drivers employed by Arriva in the UK have announced strike action in a dispute over pay, with the first two days of action concentrated in North and East London. The dispute is effectively of Arriva's own making, with the company having had every chance to make an offer that meets the drivers' expectations but having instead refused. Over the last decade, Deutsche Bahn, Arriva's parent company, has paid £560 million in profit transfers to Germany.