Drivers at one garage are striking over claims of ‘union busting and bullying’
Bus routes will be impacted on Christmas Eve(Image: Alexandr Spatari/Getty Images)
Hundreds of bus drivers are starting strike action on Friday (December 12) with London bus routes across West and East London being hit. Staff at two garages are walking out with 13 bus routes across East and North East London being impacted plus seven routes in West, South West and North West London.
An estimated 350 bus drivers from the Lea Interchange Bus Garage are expected to walk out over claims of “union busting and bullying”, which Stagecoach has refuted. There will likely be no service on 12 London bus routes they serve in East and North East London, with delays and cancellations on another route.
First Bus employees from the Westbourne Park Bus Garage will also be walking out on various dates in December, starting on Friday and including Christmas Eve. Their strike action will affect routes across South West, West and North West London. Drivers from the garage previously walked out in November over a pay dispute.
A Stagecoach London spokesperson said: “Our drivers at Lea Interchange Garage who are members of Unite the Union have now voted in favour of taking strike action. It would be inappropriate to comment on cases involving any individuals, but we utterly refute the allegations made by Unite of union busting and bullying.
“All employees are held to the same standards of behaviour, regardless of their role, and any allegations of misconduct are handled in line with our established policies and procedures.
“It is disappointing the situation has reached this point, but we value our ongoing relationship with Unite and remain committed to resolving any concerns through the proper channels. Our priority continues to be delivering a safe and reliable bus service for our customers, and we will work to minimise any disruption.”
Full list of December 2025 and January 2026 bus strikes in London
East and North East London
- From Friday, December 12 to Saturday, December 13 and Thursday, January 8 to Friday, January 9 there will be no service on London Bus routes 58, 97, 135, 276, 236, 308, 339, 488, D8, W13, W14, 678. There may be delays or cancellations on route 86.
South West, West and North West London
- From 5am to 5pm on Friday, December 12 to Saturday, December 13 and Monday, December 15 to Tuesday, December 16 there is likely to be little or no service on routes 13 (24hr route), 23 (24hr route), 31, 218, 295 (24hr route), 452 and N31.
- From 5am on Monday, December 22 to end of service on Wednesday, December 24 this will be little or no service on these same bus routes.
Got a story? Please get in touch at katherine.gray@reachplc.com
Sign up for our London Underground newsletter for the latest travel updates to make your commute easier, plus a weekly fix of Tube trivia! Sign up HERE.