London 2012: bus drivers vote to strike during Olympic Games - The Guardian
Thousands of London bus workers have voted to go on strike during the Olympics if they do not receive a bonus of £500.
Members of the Unite union voted for industrial action by a ratio of nine to one. The union is seeking the bonus for the 20,000 bus workers it represents, claiming that other transport workers have been paid a premium for working during the event.
The ballot allows the union to name the date for a strike but they have not yet named a date. Unite said it was giving the bus companies a final opportunity to consider the "landslide" ballot result before announcing possible strike dates early next week.
At least 800,000 extra passengers are predicted to use London's buses during the Olympics.
Unite official Peter Kavanagh said negotiations had been going on for a year.
"Our members are only asking for an extra £17 a day which will just about buy you a pint of beer and a portion of fish and chips at the Olympics. Our members want the Games to be a success but their patience has run out," he said.
"We have given Transport for London and the bus operators almost a year to resolve this issue. Every single London transport worker in London will receive a reward to recognise their major contribution to this historic occasion except for London's bus workers."
London 2012: London bus drivers vote to strike over bonuses - BBC News
Bus workers in London have voted to take strike action in a row over their workload during the Olympics.
Nearly 40% of Unite members working for 21 bus companies voted 94% in favour of strike action. No dates have been set.
The union, which is asking for a £500 bonus, says bus workers are the only London transport workers not to receive an Olympics bonus payment.
Transport for London (TfL) said it was disappointed but workers were employed by private firms who set their pay.
Dates for strike action could be announced early next week.
Unite says it expects 800,000 extra passengers to travel on buses during the Games.
It said workers on London Underground, London Overground, Docklands Light Railways, Network Rail and Virgin would all receive between £500 to £900 in extra payments.
In May, a survey of 2,955 London bus and rail passengers commissioned by the union found that 88% were in favour of Olympic bonus pay.
'Completely reprehensible'Peter Kavanagh, Unite regional secretary for London, said: "It's a disgrace that London's mayor, Boris Johnson, and the bus companies have allowed this dispute to get this far.
"Our members are only asking for an extra £17 a day which will just about buy you a pint of beer and a portion of fish and chips at the Olympics.
"Our members want the Games to be a success but their patience has run out."
Leon Daniels, TfL's managing director of surface transport, said: "I am not surprised that 70% of London's bus drivers did not vote for strike action.
"That is because about 70% of London's local bus services are not affected by the Olympic Games.
"The whole country is really entering into the spirit of the Games and the overwhelming responsible majority are pulling out all the stops to make it a huge success.
"Only Unite appears to want to exploit it by adding a further multimillion-pound burden to the hard-pressed fare-payers and taxpayers of London."
Mr Daniels added that Unite had already negotiated binding deals for pay and conditions with each of the bus companies for this year.
"Attempting to tear up those agreements and get a new one with less than 50 days to go before the Games is completely reprehensible and out of step with every other provider of services in this city this summer."
Naughty swimmers to leave London early - Sportal.com.au
Australian swimmers Nick D'Arcy and Kenrick Monk will leave London immediately after their events at the Olympic Games are over.
Monk earlier this week posted a photo on Facebook of the duo posing with high-powered weapons in a US gun shop, with the pair later apologising for their actions.
Along with being sent home after their swimming events are completed, Monk and D'Arcy have been banned from using social media from July 16 to August 15, the Australian Olympic Committee (AOC) said on Saturday.
In a letter sent to both athletes, Chef de Mission Nick Green said: "Given this incident and our previous discussions concerning your conduct, I now have concerns regarding your lack of judgment.
"As a member of the 2012 Australian Olympic Team, and as I have reminded you on previous occasions, it is an honour and a privilege to be a member of an Australian Olympic Team.
"Australian Olympians are required to meet very high standards of conduct and we cannot risk the reputation of the team through non-compliance with the Team Membership Agreement."
If they are not required for the final session of the swimming program, the AOC plan for D'Arcy and Monk to leave London's Olympic Village on August 4.
Green insisted the decision to take the pair to the Games, which start on July 27, had nothing to do with whether they would be successful.
"This has nothing to do with medals," he said.
"It is all about upholding team values, in particular the high standards of behaviour set by those Olympians who came before you."
Swimming Australia, who ordered for the photos to be removed, are conducting their own investigation.
London bus drivers vote to strike during Olympics - Financial Times
Last updated: June 9, 2012 3:03 pm
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