Bus strikes threaten return of Notting Hill Carnival: More than 1,000 killjoy drivers will walk out

More than 1,000 bus drivers in London are set to walk out over the August bank holiday weekend over a pay dispute, affecting Notting Hill Carnival which returns after a three-year hiatus.

Trade union Unite said 1,600 drivers at bus company London United would strike on Sunday and Monday.

Notting Hill Carnival will close down a huge section of west London from the early hours of Sunday August 28 to 6am on Tuesday August 30, with many relying on buses to get to the famous festival. 

Unite claims the dispute is a result of the workers only being offered a pay increase of 3.6 per cent for 2022 and 4.2 per cent for next year. The union said it would be a ‘real terms pay cut’ because the real inflation rate (RPI) stands at 12.3 per cent.

General secretary Sharon Graham said French firm RATP, which owns London United, was ‘an incredibly wealthy’ company that could afford to raise wages.