A 24-hour London bus strike has begun following the collapse of peace talks in a dispute over Olympics payments. The walkout by thousands of members of Unite at 17 bus companies in pursuit of a £500 payment for working during the Games will hit most parts of London, disrupting travel for commuters and tourists.
A second strike was planned for today, but was called off based on a new deal offered by TfL.
The deal on offer is now £583 for every bus worker, or £700 for bus drivers at depots badly affected by the Games. . . But the more interesting part of the offer is the split of the extra fare revenue generated during the Games.
Unions: We’ll strike unless you pay us £500!
TfL: We couldn’t possible pay you more than £583, plus part of the revenue, and a higher bonus for some of you.
Unions: …OK?