Union action paying off for London bus staff

Intense lobbying by Unite is making London’s bus service safer for its workers. Despite the rising number of deaths among staff (see last issue) Transport for London (TfL) had only adopted some of the union’s recommendations, for example by trialling keeping bus front doors shut rather than adopting the move on all routes. Meanwhile, in the face of requests for PPE for bus drivers, London mayor Sadiq Khan stood by the World Health Organization’s increasingly half-hearted recommendation that masks do not protect the general public.

The RMT, meanwhile, has demanded full PPE for all transport workers who want it.

In the last week alone the situation has dramatically improved. Bus front doors have been sealed and, while drivers still haven’t received the masks they want, the mayor is asking government to make their use by all passengers on the network compulsory.

https://tfl.gov.uk/info-for/media/press-releases/2020/april/tfl-introduces-middle-door-only-boarding-across-the-london-bus-network