Drivers’ win sees strikes called off
THE Arriva bus strikes planned for the rest of this month have been cancelled after drivers accepted Arriva’s latest pay deal.
The vote brings to an end the bitter pay dispute during which several walkouts have stopped almost all Arriva services in Merseyside.
Travellers would have had to endure two more days of strike action this week – and four days next week leading up to Christmas Eve.
Drivers had been fighting for a pay rise to £12.10.
And under the deal agreed on Tuesday night, drivers’ pay will rise to £12.10 per hour this year and again to £12.42 next year.
The offer was accepted by 1,286 votes to 547.
Unions Unite and the GMB had already held several days of strike action in their battle for a pay rise that keeps pace with inflation.
Drivers voted at depots and they were given a free vote with no recommendation from the union.
The acceptance of the pay deal means that the planned strikes this week will not go ahead.
And the four-day strike planned for next week, which would have run from Wednesday 20 until Saturday, December 23, has also been called off.
Debate raged on the union’s Facebook page about whether drivers should accept the offer.
John Boughton, regional industrial organiser with Unite, said: “Our members have accepted the pay deal. The dispute is finished.”
Phil Stone, managing director of Arriva North West, said: “Arriva North West is delighted that our latest offer of a two-year pay agreement has been accepted by our drivers.
“Throughout this dispute we have maintained that talks and compromise on both sides are the only way to find a resolution. This new agreement means our passengers no longer face the prospect of disruption in the run-up to Christmas.
“We hold our drivers in the highest regard and this pay offer is a demonstration of our commitment to invest in our workforce.
“We apologise to our passengers for the disruption over recent weeks and are delighted we can now return to delivering the best possible service to our passengers and the local economy.”