Arriva drivers to strike 26 days

Unite said on August 5 that more than 1,500 Arriva North London bus drivers will strike on 26 days between mid-August and October in a dispute over working conditions during hot weather. The union said the walkouts cover drivers at eight garages and could cause major disruption to bus services across north London and parts of Essex. The Independent and other U.K. outlets reported the action on Wednesday, citing Unite’s account of the dispute. Transport for London said passengers should use its live travel tools for updates on bus services. ### Which Arriva operation is involved, and how big is it? Arriva London says it runs 98 bus routes across the capital under contract to Transport for London. The company describes itself as one of London’s largest operators, serving the city since 1980. More than 1,500 drivers employed by Arriva North London are involved in the dispute, according to reports citing Unite. (independent.co.uk) The union said the action affects eight garages: Barking, Edmonton, Enfield, Grays, Palmers Green, Stamford Hill, Tottenham and Wood Green. ### Why are drivers walking out? Unite said the dispute centers on working conditions in extreme heat. (arrivabus.co.uk) The union said drivers have been dealing with cab temperatures of 40C and above and argued that existing air-cooling systems are not fit for purpose. Drivers told the union that some cabs felt like “greenhouses” because the current systems pull in outside air rather than providing effective air conditioning, according to reports citing Unite. (uk.news.yahoo.com) The Independent said the union warned of “huge disruption” to summer bus journeys if the dispute is not resolved. ### When are the strike dates, and how long will they run? (msn.com) The planned action is scheduled to run for 26 days between August 14 and October 20, according to multiple reports citing Unite. The strike window stretches across late summer and into autumn rather than a single continuous stoppage. The reports say the stoppages will hit both weekday and weekend services, with some night routes also affected. (uk.news.yahoo.com) That timing raises the prospect of repeated disruption rather than a one-day shutdown. ### Which passengers and routes are most likely to be affected? North London and some Essex services operated from the eight named garages are the main areas at risk, according to reports citing Unite. (hotminute.co.uk) Because Arriva London operates TfL-contracted routes, any disruption is likely to appear through TfL’s bus status pages and journey-planning tools. (independent.co.uk) Transport for London says customers can monitor real-time bus status updates, temporary bus changes and strike information on its website and through the TfL Go app. Arriva also directs passengers to its own disruptions, timetables and journey-planning pages for service updates. ### What have Arriva and TfL said publicly? Transport for London maintains a strikes information page and says it will update service information as industrial action affects the network. (standard.co.uk) Its public guidance is to check before traveling and plan ahead using live travel tools. Arriva’s public website currently points passengers to disruption notices, timetables and journey-planning tools rather than a detailed public statement on this dispute. (tfl.gov.uk) A Reuters-style review of the company’s latest accessible service pages did not show a dedicated strike explainer for the London action. ### What should riders watch next? August 14 is the first reported strike date in the 26-day schedule cited by Unite. (tfl.gov.uk) Passengers using Arriva-operated London routes can check TfL’s bus status page, TfL’s strikes page and Arriva’s disruptions page ahead of each listed walkout date through October 20. (hotminute.co.uk) (arrivabus.co.uk)