Bus drivers plan strike over pay

Bus drivers walked out over the same issue earlier this year

Commuters face travel disruption as thousands of bus drivers in London and the south-east plan a fresh strike.

A 24-hour strike by 6,000 drivers working for First and Metrobus is due to begin at 0300 BST on Friday.

Members of union Unite want a standard £30,000 salary for all bus drivers across the network. It follows earlier strikes on the same issue.

A spokesman for First said there was no point in drivers supporting the union's "utterly unrealistic" claim.

'Potentially unsafe'

Unite said pay disparity between London's 18 different bus operators could be as much as £6,000.

Sick pay, pensions and holiday arrangements also differed, it added.

Unite's senior regional organiser Peter Kavanagh said: "Not only is this potentially unsafe, it is unfair to have bus workers across London doing the same job for less money or having to put in much longer hours."

But bus operators insisted that drivers already get a good pay deal, following increases in recent years.

The pay of First's drivers increased by 34% between 2003 and 2007 and most earn more than £25,000 a year, company managing director Adrian Jones said.

'Difficult financial times'

He added: "These are difficult financial times for everyone and I hope the union will be ready to meet to discuss a settlement without leading to further loss of pay for staff and damage to the company."

Managers at Metrobus said their drivers were among the highest paid in the south-east with pay of up to £27,612.

The bus operators said they would do "all we can" to minimise disruption.

Unite plans a further 24-hour strike on 22 October.