October 22 in protest against low pay. Up to 300 TGWU members from bus companies across the capital marched from the depots to the Greater London Assembly. They are demanding the same pay as tube drivers.
Bus drivers in London have lost out on millions of pounds of pay and pensions since privatisation. Shareholders are receiving big pay-outs while under investing in the transport system in the capital.
Drivers currently earn an average salary of £17,000, 45% less than Tube drivers who are paid an average of E31,000.
There is a chronic shortage of bus drivers in London, at present there are over 1,000 bus driver vacancies. This at a time when Ken Livingstone is calling for public transport
March organiser, Peter Kavanagh said: "Since the p late 1980s bus drivers' pay has fallen by El 20 a week compared to average earnings. The situation in London is worse with bus drivers now earning f230 a week less than the London average." He added there should be equal investment in the bus services as well as parity in pay and conditions. Spotlight
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