Pay talks ‘insult’ as Arriva North West bus workers gear up for nine days of strikes in December.

Pay talks to avert more bus strikes in the north west broke up today (Friday 17 November), after the bosses offered an ‘insulting’ one penny extra an hour to the hourly rate, Unite, the country’s largest union, said.

Talks were held as more than 2,000 bus drivers and engineering staff working for Arriva North West are set to hold nine days of strike action in the run-up to Christmas.

Unite said that the management had today offered an additional one penny per hour on its previous offer. The union will ballot its members next week on the latest offer, with the strong recommendation to reject.

Unite members at 11 depots across the north west will walk out during their shifts on 4,7,12,13,14,20,21,22 and 23 December. Strikes for Monday (20 November) and 27 November have already been announced.

The company presented its final offer with conditions attached which were completely unacceptable to the Unite and GMB trade unions.

Unite regional officer John Boughton said: “This below inflation final offer is an insult to Arriva employees, to the people in the communities in which Arriva operates and to businesses which will be affected by further strike action.

“This offer shows the contempt for workers who are fighting to stop their pay being eroded by the impact of inflation. The company has made a cynical decision to put more profit before the needs of the communities it serves.

“The latest offer was insulting and very demeaning from a company owned by the German transport giant Deutsche Bahn AG with huge financial resources. The unions believe the pay claim is affordable given the high profitability of Arriva North West.

“To put it into context, the highest paid director in Arriva North West has more money put into his pension each year than the average pay of a bus worker in the north west region.

“The announcement of nine new strike dates in the run-up to Christmas will be inconvenient for the travelling public, but our members are reluctantly taking this action as they have hit a brick wall with an intransigent management.

“We want an ‘equitable pay award’ across the company and for Arriva to tackle wage inequalities of up to £1.73 an hour between depots, as our members are struggling generally with the constant rising cost of living.

"The bosses know what would settle this dispute, and it's not a king's ransom as this company makes huge profits. All our members want is a fair share of the profits they help generate by their dedicated work in all weathers."

The Arriva bus depots affected are: Birkenhead, Bolton, Bootle, Green Lane (Stoneycroft), Macclesfield, Runcorn, St. Helens, Speke, Southport, Winsford and Wythenshaw. Picket lines will be assembling outside of all Arriva North West depots on the strike days.

Arriva has withdrawn from the all Wales Trains franchise, quoting financial considerations and return on investment. The bus guys here, want to be careful they don't provide an excuse.

Arriva has publicly announced that they have offered the drivers a 2.75% pay rise.
The Union is telling us that the drivers have been offered a ONE pence per hour increase. If the drivers work a 40hr week, a 40p per week increase means that they are currently earning £14.40 per week.
By Christmas, the drivers will have lost a full two weeks wages. Regardless of how much pay increase they eventually manage to negotiate, do they realise just how long it will take to make up the money they have lost while on strike?

That's also a little misleading, Yes it's a ridiculously small amount, but it's in addition to the offer already on the table. But I guess that doesn't make as interesting a head line? More informative but not as good at click bate.

I wonder how long it's going to take the driver to earn the money they will have lost after all these strikes?

Originally Posted by Ceam

That's also a little misleading, Yes it's a ridiculously small amount, but it's in addition to the offer already on the table. But I guess that doesn't make as interesting a head line? More informative but not as good at click bate.

I wonder how long it's going to take the driver to earn the money they will have lost after all these strikes?

Clearly, they will never recover the money they have lost through strike action.

£14.40 per week ?????????

Originally Posted by ausard2

£14.40 per week ?????????

If Union figures of an offer of a 1p per hour pay increase are to be believed, yes.

Originally Posted by justbecause

If Union figures of an offer of a 1p per hour pay increase are to be believed, yes.

Did you not read what I put?

It was an additional pay increase of 1p/hr