Arriva drivers accepted the deal, so the October strike dates are gone. Buses will get cab air conditioning by May 2027, with a 35-minute rule meanwhile.

The Arriva bus strikes are over. Drivers voted to accept a new deal, and the walkouts that had been booked into October will not happen.

Unite announced the result on Monday 7 September. Strikes due to restart that day were called off. The dispute covered about 1,500 drivers at eight garages, including Tottenham and Wood Green.

This was never about pay. It was about heat in the driver’s cab, and the deal answers it directly: Arriva and Transport for London will fit air conditioning to Arriva London North buses by May 2027.

What the drivers won

Unite’s statement sets out the terms. The main points:

  • Air conditioning by May 2027 on Arriva London North buses. Most currently have air cooling, which Unite says lowers cab temperatures by only two or three degrees in a heatwave.
  • A 35-minute rule while the work is done. If the air conditioning fails on a diesel or hybrid bus, the driver drives for 35 minutes and the bus then goes back to the garage. The same rule applies in cold weather, where drivers previously had to stay out for at least an hour.
  • No 35-minute rule on electric buses, because their systems should work within a few minutes.
  • Faulty buses repaired first. A bus with a broken heating or cooling system must be fixed before it goes back into service, rather than being handed to another driver.
  • Regular checks. Arriva has committed to a “robust ongoing audit of heating and aircon systems through the year”, with “scheduled bi-weekly run out checks”.

Unite has kept its strike mandate, which runs for 11 months. The union says that lets it act if Arriva goes back on the deal or the air conditioning is late.

Key terms of the Arriva North London deal. About 1,500 drivers at eight garages. Air conditioning fitted to Arriva London North buses by May 2027. If air conditioning fails on a diesel or hybrid bus, 35 minutes of driving and then back to the garage. Faulty buses repaired before returning to service. Unite's strike mandate stays in place for 11 months.

It now covers every London bus

Two days later the deal went wider. On 9 September Unite said that TfL and all of London’s bus operators have committed to fitting air conditioning to every bus driver’s cab in London by May 2027.

Cabs will also get UV protective film, to reduce the risk of skin cancer. The plan was agreed by an extreme weather taskforce of Unite, TfL, the bus operators and the Greater London Authority.

The union’s case rested on this summer. It says London had a record 40 days above 30C, and that drivers reported cab temperatures as high as 50C, with heatstroke, dehydration and fatigue.

Unite regional officer Nadine Edwards said the union would “ensure these changes are actually implemented in the timeframe that has been agreed”.

What it means for you

  • No more strike days are planned. The dates we listed for 18 and 21 September, and 2, 5, 16 and 19 October, went with the deal. TfL’s bus status carried no strike notice for any route when we checked on 15 September.
  • The local routes affected were the 41, N41, W3 and 102. The 41, W3 and 102 were all running a good service when we checked.
  • Buses may occasionally come off the road mid-route under the 35-minute rule, on a very hot or very cold day, if a cab system fails. Unite’s statement does not say how often that is expected.
  • The dispute could come back if the air conditioning is not fitted by May 2027, because Unite’s strike mandate stays live for 11 months.

Update to our earlier reports

Our reports of 25 August and 5 September listed strike dates to 20 October and said they depended on a ballot. Drivers accepted the offer, so none of those dates stands. Both pages now carry a note pointing here. We should have reported the result sooner: Unite published it on 7 September.

Sources