Fresh 24-hour bus strike begins

The walkout, which is over pay, is due to end at 0400 GMT on Thursday

A 24-hour bus strike has begun in east London, after members of the Unite union working for transport firm CT Plus rejected a 2.25% pay offer.

There is no service on the 153 and 388 bus routes due to the the walkout, which is due to finish at 0400 GMT on Thursday.

Unite spokesman Peter Kavanagh said: "It's a disgrace that CT Plus think they can pay basement level wages."

A CT Plus spokesman said: "We think this offer is a generous one."

Pay offer

On Tuesday, Unite union said another planned 24-hour walkout by East London Bus Group staff would not go ahead after the firm made an improved pay offer.

A spokesman for the HCT Group, which owns CT Plus, said: "We think this offer is a generous one particularly when it is compared to the pay offers that most Londoners have received recently."

But Mr Kavanagh said: "The offer seems a reasonable one, until you look at the pay of other London bus drivers who do precisely the same job.

"CT Plus drivers are earning approximately £5,000 less than their colleagues driving other buses. We need to make more progress towards parity with what other bus drivers are getting."