London bus workers are demanding an extra £500 each for working over the Olympic Games this summer. The union, Unite have written a letter on behalf of the 28,000 workers who say they should be paid £500 extra because their buses will be extremely busy during the three weeks while the Olympics Games is in the capital.
The bus workers are arguing that the extra £500 payment would put their pay in line with what other London transport workers will receive during the Games in 2012. However, paying each London bus worker an extra £500 just for turning up for work during the Olympics will stretch Transport for London’s budget further, costing the taxpayer and passengers an extra £14 million over the duration of the sporting event.
London Mayor, Boris Johnson, does not support the bus worker’s appeal for more money during the Olympics and has described both the tube and bus staff of attempting to take advantage of their position to lever more money out of TFL.
An extra 800,000 passengers are expected to use London buses during the Olympic Games this summer, and the London Bus staff believe that they should be duly rewarded as their services will be especially busy as a result. The union has not ruled out industrial action if a resolution is not found.
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