Bus drivers strike over pay deal

Drivers have formed picket lines outside bus depots

A one-day strike by bus drivers in Edinburgh and the Lothians has forced thousands of passengers to find an alternative means of transport.

More than 1,400 drivers employed by Lothian Buses are taking strike action.

Drivers have been offered a 5% pay increase by management but they are holding out for just over 6%.

Edinburgh City Council, the main shareholder in the bus operator, said traffic volumes appeared "near normal" with no extra congestion.

This was even the case during the morning rush-hour, it said.

Commuters have been using other bus operators, taxis or have been walking or cycling to work, the council said.

Police also said there were no significant congestion problems. Traffic on some routes was lighter than usual as some people decided to stay at home.

We've done everything we could to stop the strike taking place, but ultimately it's the last resort Peter Williamson T&G Your views on the bus strike

The strike action forced Lothian Buses to cancel all of its routes, including the Airlink service to Edinburgh Airport, from 0445 BST.

Two further one-day strikes are planned for later this month while an indefinite overtime ban by drivers has meant a limited Saturday bus timetable will operate for the remainder of the week.

In a bid to ease disruption to travellers, the city council suspended pay and display parking charges in the peripheral zone surrounding the city centre.

Most Greenways bus lane restrictions were also lifted for the day.

The bus company has offered workers a 5% rise, but the T&G union said that this was tied to changes to rosters and routes which would lead to more weekend work.

Peter Williamson, of the T&G, said the decision to go on strike had not been taken lightly.

Terms and conditions

"We've been wrongly portrayed as rejecting a straight 5% pay increase with no change in conditions and that's a lie," he said.

"Changes to the terms and conditions of employment are very much the issue.

"I don't want drivers to strike. I don't want members of the public inconvenienced by it.

"We've done everything we could to stop the strike taking place, but ultimately it's the last resort."

It's very regrettable the union has refused the offer of arbitration to settle this dispute Neil Renilson Lothian Buses

However, Lothian Buses chief executive Neil Renilson said the company would be forced to increase fares to meet the union's pay demands.

"We deeply regret the disruption to bus passengers that the strike and overtime ban is causing," he said.

"But it wouldn't be in the best interests of bus passengers, or indeed our staff, for the company to be forced to increase fares just to meet the union's claim for a more than double the rate of inflation increase.

"It's very regrettable the union has refused the offer of arbitration to settle this dispute."