London bus drivers strike over sweltering cabin heat

More than 1,500 London bus drivers in north London and Essex began striking on August 14 over extreme heat in their cabins, where temperatures can reach 40°C. The drivers, working full shifts, say the conditions are unbearable after weeks of record-breaking heat. The strike highlights a gap in British workplace protections: while the law sets a minimum temperature for indoor work (16°C, or 13°C for physically hard tasks), there is no maximum heat limit.

Britain now averages three times as many days above 30°C as it did 60 years ago, and this summer is on track to be the warmest since records began in 1884. Work injuries rise when temperatures exceed 30°C, and productivity falls 2-3% for every degree above 20°C in wet bulb globe temperature, a measure of heat stress. By contrast, countries like Spain, Italy, and France have introduced heat-related work bans and paid climate leave.

Unions including UNISON are pushing to replace the 1992 heat regulation with compulsory breaks and protections like those in southern Europe. Green MP Hannah Spencer has introduced a private member’s bill to create an independent body to recommend maximum workplace temperatures, but it has so far gained little parliamentary support. The strike and the broader heatwave are putting pressure on the government to act.