Union victory on London buses

In November, the Unite union welcomed the announcement that all London buses would be fitted with a much safer air conditioning system as a major victory for the union. It represents more than 200,000 London bus workers and has called for the measure since February 2020, before the first national lockdown.

The change to the air conditioning in all London buses means that air entering the driver’s sealed cab comes directly from the outside and does not pass through the passenger area of the bus, greatly reducing the risk of drivers being exposed to the COVID-19 virus while driving. The union had raised concerns when the first cases of COVID-19 began to emerge and “was instrumental in ensuring the air conditioning was turned off and a replacement system introduced”.

Bus drivers, and drivers in London in particular, have been badly affected by COVID-19, with at least 30 drivers dying of the disease during the pandemic. Safety reps in the capital have been campaigning for improvements from the early days of the crisis.