The Mayor of Liverpool has urged Arriva to end its ongoing bus strikes.
Joanne Anderson made the plea to the transport giant as they entered a seventh consecutive day without buses in operation throughout Merseyside.
The continuous strike, involving workers represented by the Unite and GMB unions, was instigated in response to Arriva’s offer of an 8.5% pay increase.
But Mayor Anderson has slammed that offer as ‘pitiful’ and demanded that the company breaks the stand-off by prioritising its workforce over profit margins.
In a letter to Arriva CEO Mike Cooper, she wrote: “We know that Arriva can afford a fair rate of pay. Arriva’s parent company DB Group saw revenue rise by 18.4% in 2021 to 47.5 billion Euros.
“Arriva is making it very clear that they are choosing to prioritise profits over supporting their hard-working workforce that connect our communities.”
She added: “I urge Arriva to return swiftly to negotiations with a view to prioritise decent pay and deliver bus services and communities.
“Arriva, which provides two thirds of bus services in Liverpool, must take responsibility for the considerable travel disruption that is facing our communities, affecting some of our most vulnerable residents.”