East London bus drivers set to strike over lack of “recuperation time”

East London bus drivers, employed by Stagecoach and represented by Unite, are set to strike over reported extreme fatigue and poor working conditions.

Three hundred bus drivers are expected to strike in the action scheduled for Thursday until Sunday 22 March. 

Unite claims that drivers at the Bow bus garage are being made to cover long distances without adequate breaks, causing fatigue and leaving workers concerned that passengers are being endangered. 

Unite claims that drivers at the Bow bus garage are being made to cover long distances without adequate breaks. Photograph: iStock

The union says they are “often not being provided with sufficient time between shifts to recuperate” and that drivers do not have a suitable area to rest as Stagecoach “refuses” to schedule meal breaks at the depot.

Unite general secretary Sharon Graham said: "Stagecoach is behaving appallingly, overworking drivers, creating a huge issue of fatigue and not giving them essential breaks.

"Fatigue is not just everyday tiredness, it is highly dangerous for both drivers and the general public.”

Safety Management contacted Stagecoach over the claims. A spokesperson said: “We have been in detailed discussions with Unite at Bow for several months about their concerns and made many suggestions. This has also included direct face-to-face engagement with the drivers and we remain committed to continuing this dialogue to resolve the issues. 

“It is important to say that all schedules, duties and rotas have been compiled in line with the agreements we have with Unite that have been in place for many years, and which are designed to ensure safety of operation. While there have been changes following amendments by TfL to some routes, these all remain within agreements and there has been no material changes to the average times on duty.”

TfL says strikes are planned on 7 bus routes operated by Stagecoach from Bow Bus Garage. If they go ahead, services will be severely delayed and buses may be cancelled.

The strikes will affect services from 05:00 on Thursday 19 March to 05:00 on Monday 23 March.

Unite regional officer John Murphy said: "There is still time for industrial action to be prevented, but that relies on Stagecoach returning to negotiations with a serious solution." 

"Fatigue is very dangerous, not only having a serious impact on drivers' health, but it also puts passengers and pedestrians at risk."