ARRIVA bus drivers mounted another strong picket at Wood Green garage in north London yesterday on the second day of their strike over terms and conditions and the unbearable heat in their cabs.
Unite representatives met the company on Monday, and Arriva has put forward a deal.
Members will vote on it in a paper ballot on Friday. If the majority rejects it the strikes go on.
The stoppages planned for Wednesday and Thursday have been called off pending that vote.
Mark, a driver at Wood Green, told News Line that the company had brushed aside the mayor’s position on air conditioning.
‘Sadiq Khan has said no buses should go out without air conditioning but the company said you work for Arriva not TfL,’ he said.
‘There are other problems with the buses, some are very old with many issues, in the winter it gets too cold and some gearboxes slip or jerk and a passenger could fall.’
Sheila, another driver, said the dispute reaches well beyond the heat. ‘Some of the other issues are maintenance, toilet facilities, fatigue and bullying and harassment by management.’
More than 1,500 drivers at eight garages across north and east London and Essex are involved, at Barking, Edmonton, Enfield, Grays, Palmers Green, Stamford Hill, Tottenham and Wood Green.
Most of the fleet has air cooling rather than air conditioning, which takes two or three degrees off the temperature at best, while cabs can pass 40 degrees in a heatwave.
One driver was signed off for five days with heatstroke in late June.
Further strike dates remain on the calendar for 25 to 28 August, 4th to 5th and 7th to 8th September, 18 to 19 and 21 to 22 September, and through October, should Friday’s ballot go against the offer.
