RATP-owned London Transit workers angry at real terms pay cut

More than 350 West London bus drivers and engineers will begin six days of strike action over pay on Friday (10 November), Unite, the UK’s leading union, said today (Tuesday).

The workers, who are employed by London Transit, which is owned by French-company RATP, are striking after they rejected a 6.8 per cent pay offer. This is a significant real terms pay cut as the real rate of inflation, RPI, stood at 11.4 per cent when the pay increase was supposed to be applied in April.

The dispute is also over the company’s attempt to reduce terms and conditions, including removing a longstanding £500 meal relief payment and attacking arrangements for a how workers take days off in lieu.

Increasing bad feeling at the company, is the fact that it takes workers seven years to reach the full rate of pay, even though at most other bus companies it only takes three years of service.

Unite general secretary Sharon Graham said: “RATP is a massive multinational company. It can absolutely afford to table an acceptable pay increase and does not to need to attack workers’ terms and conditions.

“Unite is totally focused on defending and improving our members’ jobs, pay and conditions. The workers at RATP have their union’s total backing during these strikes.”

The workers are based at the Westbourne Park Garage and the strikes will impact the 13, 23, 28, 218, 295, 414, 452 and N28 routes.

Strikes will take place on 10 and 13 November and 1, 4, 22 and 23 December. The industrial action will escalate if the dispute is not resolved.

Unite regional officer Michelle Braveboy said: “Strike action will inevitably cause disruption to passengers but this is entirely the fault of London Transit and RATP’s management. They have had every opportunity to resolve this dispute but have failed to do so.”