The Woolwich Ferry is once again suspended due to an issue with the onboard generators.

The vehicle ferry has been suspended for the majority of this month and today is no different it seems.

Workers recently went on-strike throughout May and June in protest against health and safety standards.

It was recently revealed to News Shopper that ferry workers were likely to strike again and very soon over continuing disputes.

New ferries were brought in last year and extensive work was done to improve the piers.

A limited service was then introduced on February 1 but due to 'technical problems' the service was continually disrupted.

Unite regional officer Onay Kasab told News Shopper: "In relation to the ongoing dispute, while we have made clear we are prepared to negotiate, all the employers have done is put forward a proposal which is a thinly disguised attempt at a cut in overtime pay."

"The client, Transport For London (TFL) are a London Living Wage accredited employer meaning that they must ensure that contractors are paying the London Living Wage.

"Our appeals to TFL so far have fallen on deaf ears. We also have evidence that shift patterns breach the working time regulations with regard to rest periods between shifts."

He said that the union is now calling on City Hall to listen to their demands in line with the governments commitment to public services.

In the event that talks do not lead to an agreement on the 15th, the union will be issuing notice for further industrial action.

Around 20,000 vehicles a week use the free service across the Thames which opened in 1889, and an estimated 2.6 million passengers also use the ferry annually.

Onay said that the main issue at the moment is a lack of spare boats, and so if there is an issue the whole service grinds to a halt.

He continued: "There has been a spate of technical problems linked to the new technology on the boat. All of this being rather ironic because a few years ago the on site workshop would fix a boat relatively quickly while the spare went into service.

"The company then decided to do repairs off site and get rid of the workshop - this was followed by the new high tech boats."

A TfL spokesman said: “We’ve checked and everyone is getting the London Living Wage. It is written into our contract that all Briggs employees working on the boats, plus all their subcontractors must be paid the LLW."