Bus workers strike against Scrooge privateer Arriva

Employer Arriva North is denying the drivers a rise despite its parent company DB Group making a whopping £700 million in pre-tax profit in the first half of this year.

The Unite members backed a strike by 93 per cent in a recent ballot, and walked out at 3am for 24 hours.

And more action is plan­ned.

The drivers' pay has been frozen since April 2011 and there's no sign of it thawing.

Workers at most of London's bus operators have received increases this year, as have Transport for London staff.

Arriva North, the biggest bus privateer in London, tried to stop the strike in the courts but was forced to drop its case following a strident defence of the workers' ballot by Unite's lawyers.

One in 10 north London bus routes will be affected by the strike, as well as some routes into central London.

Unite regional secretary Peter Kavanagh said: "Christmas is approaching in one of the most expensive cities in the world and London's single biggest bus operator is rewarding its drivers with a second year of percentage pay freezes.

"Arriva's owners have made hundreds of millions in profits this year, so it's no wonder staff are taking strike action against their Scrooge employer."