Mayor Sadiq Khan demands all London trainee bus drivers are paid living wage

It comes after the Unite union discovered some trainee drivers were being paid under £9.75 an hour

Sadiq Khan, has demanded that all bus companies in the capital ensure all of their staff are paid the London Living Wage after it emerged that some trainee drivers were not receiving it.

It comes after the Unite union learned that some drivers in training were not being paid the full amount - in breach of their contractual obligations. 

Several hundred trainee drivers are thought to have being paid less than the wage of £9.75 an hour by their bus company, and then given a bonus when they qualified to drive the routes.

Some 2,500 people have been through six-week driver training courses in the last 12 months.

Mr Khan said: “I’m absolutely furious if even a single trainee bus driver is still being paid below London’s Living Wage.

"I thank the Unite union for helping to bring this to my attention and I expect this to be put right immediately.” 

Claire Mann, TfL’s director of bus service delivery and operations, said: “Payment of the London Living Wage has been a contractual requirement for all bus companies operating in London for some time.

"We expect the LLW to be paid to all of their staff, including trainee bus drivers.

"We have contacted all of the companies involved to remind them of this and seek urgent clarification that this is being adhered to.”