More than 2,000 bus drivers working for Arriva North West today (Wednesday 13 December) hailed victory in their long-running pay dispute.

The workers, members of Unite, the country’s largest union, voted overwhelmingly to accept the two year pay deal. Strike action in the run-up to Christmas has now been called off.

The dispute had affected 11 depots across the north west after workers had taken industrial action in pursuit of ‘pay justice’.

The package sees workers receiving 3.2 per cent in one year which runs from April 2017 to April 2018 and 2.6 per cent in year two, starting in April 2018.

Unite regional officer John Boughton said: “This pay deal that our members have overwhelmingly accepted is a considerable improvement when set against the company’s original offer of 0.9 per cent for year one.

“I would like to thank our members for the solidarity they have shown during this dispute and the fantastic support they received from the public and local politicians across the north west, which greatly contributed to this victory for pay justice.

“The bus drivers now look forward to doing what they do best, which is helping people to travel to work, getting to the shops, and visiting their friends and loved ones. The planned industrial action in the run-up to Christmas has been called off.

“Unite looks forward to working in a constructive fashion with the management going forward.”

The Arriva bus depots covered by the pay deal are: Birkenhead, Bolton, Bootle, Green Lane (Stoneycroft), Macclesfield, Runcorn, St. Helens, Speke, Southport, Winsford and Wythenshaw.

Will the bus fares increase now?

Will fares rise?
Now the Third Reich has taken charge, definitely

Grown ups would say something along the lines of 'following negotiations a deal has been struck which etc etc'. Or you can have one side trumpeting a victory - Unite do seem to have woken up at the end though with “Unite looks forward to working in a constructive fashion with the management going forward.”

It would be nice if Doctors/Nurses got this pay rise.