London bus drivers resume strike over heatwave working amid fears over air con deal

Drivers concerned that bus operator’s offer to retrofit cabs on 730 buses will not be complete by next summer

London bus drivers have resumed strike action over having to work in high temperatures, amid fears that proposed improvements to air conditioning will not be complete by next summer.

About 1,500 members of the Unite union working across north London and Essex are taking part in the four-day strike from Tuesday to Friday, after industrial action earlier this month. Further stoppages are planned for the coming weeks.

The Unite union and bus operator Arriva North London reached an agreement during talks last week, but some drivers rejected the company’s offer, with workers deciding it did not go far enough to solve the problem of working in hot weather .

The Guardian understands many are concerned that proposals to improve the air-conditioning system across Arriva North London’s fleet of 730 buses may not be finished by next summer.

Bus drivers have reported “excessive in-cab heat” for years, saying poor or faulty cooling was allowing temperatures to rise above 30C.

Temperatures have often exceeded 40C during this year’s record run of five heatwaves and there are concerns that such conditions could return in 2027.

Bus drivers have reported the air-cooling system in their cabs has only managed to reduce temperatures by about 2C-3C, putting them at extra risk of fatigue and also causing some to suffer health problems including heat exhaustion, heatstroke and dehydration.

The Unite general secretary, Sharon Graham, said: “London bus drivers do a vital job, but are putting themselves at risk due to these appalling conditions.

“Arriva can fully afford to make meaningful changes our members can accept. Until that happens, strike action will continue and our members at Arriva North London will continue to have the full backing of Unite.”

Drivers at eight bus garages – at Barking, Edmonton, Enfield, Grays, Palmers Green, Stamford Hill, Tottenham, and Wood Green – first went on strike on 14 and 18 August, which Unite said had led to delays and cancellations for more than 40 bus routes in the capital.

Drivers at three of these garages voted against the new offer put forward by Arriva. The union members have resumed their strike.

A spokesperson for Arriva London said: “We are disappointed that this strike is going ahead when five out of eight of our north London garages have said they don’t want [a strike]. We have already reached agreement with Unite officials on every demand – and we continue to seek feedback from Unite to understand what concerns remain at the three garages that voted to strike.”

They added: “The safety and wellbeing of our colleagues and customers will always be our highest priority and measures have been introduced this summer to help drivers cope with extreme heat, while we are also investing in air conditioning upgrades for driver cabs across our London fleet.”

Arriva, along with other transport operators and Unite, are members of Transport for London’s extreme weather taskforce, which has been established to find a solution to weather challenges.

Further bus driver strikes are planned for eight occasions during September and October.