London commuters are set for more travel misery with strikes planned on trains and buses and possibly on the Tube.

London Assembly Transport Committee chairman Geoff Pope said the "silly strike season" had definitely arrived.

"These internal disputes between staff and managers must be resolved before the capital descends into transport chaos," he said.

"Both London Underground and First need to work much harder to manage their workforce in such a way that we don't have these damaging disputes. Stubborn unions score off inflexible management.

"Strike action should be a last resort but unfortunately it seems now to be the preferred method of negotiating."

Drivers on the non-stop rail link from London to Gatwick Airport have announced they will strike for five days - on the 25th and 29th of August and the 11th, 22nd and 25th of September.

The union said the dispute was over pay and accused the company of "stalling and obstructing progress rather than seeking a reasonable settlement".

"We have no desire to add to the misery of the travelling public, especially at this time," Aslef national organiser Andy Reed said. "But equally we demand that Aslef members are treated with respect."

Gatwick Express managing director Peter Cotton said he was disappointed at the decision of the drivers.

Gatwick Express managing director Peter Cotton said: "For the past eight months we have worked with ASLEF to reach an agreement and have increased our offer during this period of negotiations. ASLEF, however has now decided to pursue industrial action".

"Whilst we will continue our discussions with ASLEF to attempt to resolve this matter, and we are working on a contingency plan that will maintain the safe and secure operation of Gatwick Express for our customers during the proposed industrial action".

While bus workers in west London have voted to strike for four days over the next three weeks in a dispute over pay.

The proposed 48 hour strike by operators and instructor starting at noon on August 27 could hit the Notting Hill Carnival, which was expected to attract thousands.

The workers, from bus operator First London, will also strike for 24 hours August 31 and September 7.

The Transport Salaried Staffs' Association union said it was one of the strongest mandates for industrial action it had received.

"We have challenged First Centre West to seriously engage in delivering a long-term deal that ensures decent wages for all bus workers. We will also be calling upon the Transport Commissioner, Mayor and Assembly to use their influence to bring a swift resolution to this dispute," the union said in a statement.

The Rail, Maritime and Transport (RMT) worker's union has also threatened to ballot 6,500 Tube workers, including train and station staff, plus about half of London's drivers, for strike action if there is no "acceptable pay offer" by August 23.

If the strikes went ahead, it would "bring the whole network to a standstill", an RMT spokesman said.

The union said it wanted a short-team pay rise package, but LU offered a four-year deal on the condition that staff work half an hour later when necessary.

LU replied that it has since made an "improved" offer, and was awaiting feedback.