London bus drivers to strike NEXT WEEK over ‘hot’ working conditions – after last-minute talks to clinch deal break down
More than 1,500 London bus drivers employed by Arriva North London will resume strike action next week after last-minute negotiations with the company collapsed. The Unite union's members rejected Arriva's latest offer in a dispute over "hot" working conditions, meaning the previously paused walkouts will restart and continue through until late October, causing significant disruption to bus services across north London.
A four-day strike will run from Tuesday 25 to Friday 28 August, followed by eight further strike days in September and another eight in October, affecting garages in Barking, Edmonton, Enfield, Grays, Palmers Green, Stamford Hill, Tottenham and Wood Green. Drivers are demanding effective air conditioning rather than the current cooling systems, which they say only lower cab temperatures by two or three degrees despite cabs reaching 40C or more in heatwaves, causing fatigue, heat exhaustion and dehydration. Unite says Arriva, which reported a pre-tax profit of €156 million in mid-2025, can afford to meet the demand, and some strike dates will coincide with planned Piccadilly line closures, compounding travel disruption.
- Over 1,500 Arriva bus drivers to strike from 25 August after talks fail
- Dispute centres on inadequate air conditioning in overheating driver cabs
- Further strikes planned throughout September and October
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London bus services in north London are run by Arriva, a private company that operates routes under contract to Transport for London, using drivers who are members of the Unite union. Pay and conditions at Arriva are negotiated separately from other bus operators, and disputes like this one are settled through direct talks between the union and the company, sometimes with the help of conciliation services, rather than through TfL itself.
This dispute centres on cab temperatures during hot weather. Drivers say the cooling systems fitted to their vehicles do little to bring down heat that can build up to 40C or more inside the cab, and they are pushing for proper air conditioning to be installed instead. Unite argues Arriva can afford this given the company's recent profits, while Arriva has been trying to reach a settlement through renewed negotiations.
The dispute matters because of the scale of disruption involved: over 1,500 drivers across several garages are set to take part, with strike days spread across late August, September and October. Services from garages including Wood Green, Tottenham and Enfield are likely to be affected, and because some strike dates overlap with separate planned closures on the London Underground's Piccadilly line, the impact on commuters and other travellers in the area could be compounded.
Both sides, in good faith
The strongest fair case each way — we don't pick a winner.
The case for
Supporters of the strike argue that no one should be expected to work for hours in cab temperatures reported to reach 40C or more, and that a cooling system which shaves off only two or three degrees is manifestly inadequate for a modern employer's duty of care. They point to the physical toll of fatigue, heat exhaustion and dehydration on drivers who must remain alert to keep passengers safe, and argue that with Arriva reporting pre-tax profits of €156 million in mid-2025, the company can reasonably afford proper air conditioning. From this perspective, industrial action is a legitimate and proportionate response after a negotiated settlement failed to materialise, and workers should not have to accept unsafe conditions simply because disruption is inconvenient for others.
The case against
Those more sympathetic to Arriva's position, or concerned about the strike's wider impact, would note that retrofitting or upgrading air conditioning across an entire bus fleet is a significant capital undertaking that cannot necessarily be resolved on the timescale drivers are demanding, and that a company's overall profit figure does not automatically equate to funds earmarked for such works. They would also highlight the real cost to the public: eight strike days each in September and October, compounding with planned Piccadilly line closures, risks leaving many north Londoners, including those with no alternative transport, stranded or facing lengthy journeys. On this view, prolonged and repeated walkouts are a blunt instrument that penalises passengers for a dispute they have no part in, and further negotiation rather than sustained disruption would better serve both drivers and the travelling public.
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