Arriva Bus strikes for December are to go ahead as drivers have voted to reject the final pay offer put forward by the company.
Arriva have tabled improved offers, with the latest being just 1p less than the amount the drivers are demanding in an attempt to stop the strikes causing chaos in the run up to Christmas.
The company have revealed that the bus drivers have seen an increase in their pay over the last four years of 10.2%. The latest offer would have meant that each driver would have earnt an additional £756 per year.
A representative for Arriva said “We are deeply disappointed that people in Merseyside and the wider North West are facing yet more disruption in the run-up to Christmas.
Arriva North West has proposed a fair and competitive pay rise to staff – 2.6% rising to 3% for the six garages in Merseyside and Runcorn. The offer follows years of consecutive pay rises above inflation at a time of significant pay restraint across other industries in the region. To put this into context, we have increased pay for our drivers by 10.2% over four years. This latest pay offer will mean an average driver will earn an additional £756 per annum.
We care about our staff and their working conditions, which is why we provide the best terms and conditions of any bus company in the North West region, including a final salary pension, 34 days holiday (Including Bank Holidays), company sick pay scheme, free bus travel for families, fully funded driver training, and enhanced rates for weekend working alongside other benefits
An extended strike in the run-up to Christmas will have a serious impact on people’s lives and the local economy. We believe that it is now time for proper mediated talks with the Unions to break the deadlock so our staff and passengers can get back to normal before Christmas.
We, therefore, urge the Union to reconsider resolving this dispute by carrying out a confidential postal ballot of all union members, including the 250 engineering staff not previously included in the ballot for the new pay offer. We also strongly suggest, in the interests of staff and passengers, of returning to ACAS to act as the mediator going forward.”