Bus drivers on 24 hour strike
Thousands of London bus drivers are taking part in strike action in a dispute over bonus payments for working during the Olympics.
Members of the Unite union from 17 companies walked out at 03:00 for the 24 hour strike. However drivers working for Arriva, Metroline and Go Ahead were prevented from taking part after the firms won an injunction.
Unite's London regional secretary said this morning the union "regrets" the strike action, but insisted the people of London were "fully behind" them.
"Our claim is for all London bus workers, whether they be drivers, engineers or supervisors. They will be carrying the additional one million passengers every day of the week during the 29 days of the Olympics. It’s something that has been settled elsewhere, and it’s something that the employers really need to understand now,"
he told Radio 4's Today programme. "We regret the action today, it was unnecessary. Out claim went in ten months ago, and employers, until one day before, had refused to talk to us."
Mayor Boris Johnson said the strike was "extremely frustrating".