Bus strike called off

THE threatened seven-day bus strike by Arriva drivers is off after eleventh hour talks between management and the Unite union.

The strike had been due to start today and would have caused major disruption for many Teessiders in the preChristmas period.

Arriva management says it tabled a number of concessions in their latest offer, including a fairer system for back pay awards, a 7.6% hourly pay increase over two years, reducing the time it takes drivers to hit the top rate of pay and the next pay review date confirmed as March 2020.

Unite union agreed to suspend the action planned for next week as it puts the revised offer to its members in a ballot.