Millions face weeks of delays as 1,500 bus drivers announce strike dates - see full list

More than 1,500 bus drivers are set to strike this week after rejecting a deal in a row over sweltering working conditions.

Drivers claim temperatures inside their cabs can reach 40C and higher during heatwaves , while current cooling systems only bring the temperature down by around two or three degrees.

Unite members at Arriva North London are demanding buses are fitted with more effective air conditioning and say the conditions have left drivers at risk of heat-related illness. They said this created what they described an increased danger of fatigue and also led some to suffer health problems including heat exhaustion, heat stroke and dehydration.

Four days of strikes will now begin on Tuesday, August 25, and continue until Friday, August 28, after members rejected an offer from Arriva. The walkouts had previously been paused while negotiations took place, but Unite announced today that industrial action would resume after a deal failed to win the backing of members.

Further strikes are planned until late October, with eight days of action due to take place in September followed by another eight in October across both weekdays and weekends.

Drivers based at garages in Barking, Edmonton, Enfield, Grays, Palmers Green, Stamford Hill, Tottenham and Wood Green will take part.

Londoners could face further disruption as some of the strike dates clash with planned closures on the Piccadilly line while its new trains are tested during August and September. Industrial action had already taken place on Tuesday and Friday, affecting more than 40 routes and causing major delays and cancellations.

But planned strikes on August 19 and 21 were paused as the union and Arriva returned to the negotiating table.

Unite regional officer Steven Stockwell said: “There is still time for Arriva to stop this disruptive action, but it relies on it coming back to the table with a deal our members believe will solve the serious problems with conditions once and for all.”

Unite general secretary Sharon Graham said: “London bus drivers do a vital job, but are putting themselves at risk due to these appalling conditions. Arriva can fully afford to make meaningful changes our members can accept. Until that happens, strike action will continue and our members at Arriva North London will continue to have the full backing of Unite.”

Arriva’s latest figures from mid-2025 showed it had reported a pre-tax profit of €156million (£133m) and an operating profit of €127m (£108m).

Wasim Mohammed, Managing Director, Arriva London, told the Daily Mail that the company was “disappointed by the outcome of Friday’s ballot”. He added: “This is despite an agreement that resolved every demand raised by the union and was subsequently taken by union officials to all their members across North London.

“Only three of our eight garages rejected the proposals.