A second 24-hour bus strike is being staged by London bus workers today (September 6).

More than 1,000 drivers, engineers and controllers who work for bus operator Tower Transit have walked out in a row over the imposition of roster changes leaving them out of pocket and “failure by a hard line management to commit to constructive industrial relations.”

More than 20 bus routes (see below) are affected at Atlas Road bus depot in Park Royal, the Westbourne Park bus garage and the Lea interchange bus depot, causing problems for commuters travelling through west, east and central London.

West Londoners using bus routes including 23, 28, 31, 70, 266 and 328 are likely to be affected.

Several people took to Twitter to air their concerns and thoughts on the bus strike.

The planned walkout began at 12.01am and is expected to last until 11.59pm, with a normal service expected to resume on Wednesday (September 7) morning.

The action from Unite members comes after a break down in talks yesterday where an agreement could not be reached.

Unite regional officer Simon McCartney said while some progress was made during yesterday’s talks with Tower Transit, the commitments needed were not provided to prevent strike action.

He added: “Tower Transit could resolve this dispute with the stroke of a pen and by committing to genuine change in managerial practice rather than confrontational brinkmanship.

“This brinkmanship has left Tower Transit bus workers at the end of their tether and facing the imposition of changes to their rosters which leave them out of pocket and forced to rearrange their family life. To add insult to injury bus workers have also found themselves short changed when doing overtime on a rest day.

“Our members take great pride in keeping London on the move and strike action is very much the last resort for them. We would urge Tower Transit management to start taking a constructive approach and engage in meaningful talks to avoid further disruption.”

A previous one-day strike on August 26 affected the same three bus depots and led to reduced services on 28 bus routes, while a second strike on the Bank Holiday Monday was suspended.

According to Transport for London , Tower Transit operates less than 5% of bus services in London.

Routes Affected

  • 23 - Liverpool Street to Westbourne Park
  • 25 - Ilford to Oxford Circus
  • 28 - Kensal Rise to Wandsworth
  • 30 - Hackney Wick to Marble Arch
  • 31 - Camden Town to White City
  • 58 - East Ham to Walthamstow Central
  • 69 - Walthamstow Central to Canning Town
  • 70 - Chiswick Business Park to South Kensington
  • 212 - Walthamstow St James Street to Chingford
  • 236 - Finsbury Park to Hackney Wick
  • 266 - Brent Cross to Hammersmith
  • 308 - Wanstead to Clapton
  • 328 - Golders Green to Chelsea
  • 339 - Leytonstone to Shadwell
  • 425 - Clapton to Stratford
  • 444 - Turnpike Lane to Chingford
  • 488 - Bromley-by-Bow to Dalston
  • RV1 - Covent Garden to Tower Gateway
  • W14 - Leyton to Woodford Bridge
  • W15 - Cogan Avenue Estate to Hackney Town Hall
  • N28 - Camden Town to Wandsworth
  • N31 - Camden Town to Clapham
  • N97 - Trafalgar Square to Hammersmith
  • N550 - Trafalgar Square to Canning Town
  • N551 - Piccadilly Circus to Gallions Reach