ARRIVA bus drivers on Wirral and across the northwest are set to strike tomorrow in a dispute over pay with Union leaders warning the strike could go on "indefinitely".

Around 1,800 workers for the bus operator recently returned a 96% yes vote in favour of the industrial action and are set to walk at 2am tomorrow (Wednesday, July 19).

The Unite union said the planned industrial action is in response to a "pitiful" pay offer.

During the industrial action there will be no planned Arriva bus services operating within Merseyside, Greater Manchester, Lancashire or Cheshire, except for local Macclesfield services which will all run with the exception of service 38. For the duration of the industrial action journey planning in the north west region on the Arriva website and Arriva UK Bus App will be disabled.

Arriva customers with pre-paid tickets travelling in Cheshire will be able to use them on buses operated by D&G Buses.

The special Liverpool Clatterbridge Hospital Shuttle service will also continue to operate during this time. Arriva customers with pre-paid tickets travelling in Cheshire will be able to use them on buses operated by D&G Buses.

A union spokesperson said recently that unless Arriva drastically improves its offer then the first region-wide strike will take place tomorrow.

Arriva said its staff had been offered "a generous pay rise of 8.5%".

The firm added that it was "deeply disappointed" by the "totally unjustified" strike action. It called on the unions to abandon their plans and ballot their members on the new offer.

A Unite spokesperson said: "Arriva should be concentrating its energies on resolving the dispute rather than attacking the genuine concerns of bus drivers.

"What is a fact is that Arriva has failed to make an offer which comes anywhere close to meeting members' expectations."

Depots involved in tomorrow's strike will be:

  • Birkenhead
  • Bolton
  • Bootle
  • Liverpool
  • Macclesfield
  • Manchester
  • Runcorn
  • Southport
  • Speke
  • St Helens
  • Winsford

Pay rates for bus drivers differ between the various depots but the union cited that drivers at Winsford, for example, are paid just £11.08 an hour. The GMB union is also involved in the industrial dispute.

Unite general secretary Sharon Graham said recently: "This dispute is entirely of Arriva's own making.

"It can fully afford to ensure its workers receive decent pay and conditions. Instead, Arriva has made our members a pitiful offer.

"Unite will back these members to the hilt until this dispute is resolved and they receive a decent pay increase."

Unite regional officer Dave Roberts said: "The forthcoming strike action is set to cause widespread disruption to bus services throughout the North West.

"However, this dispute is all about greed not need. Arriva could make its workers a decent offer but it chose not to.

"Even now strikes can be avoided if Arriva made an offer which meets members' expectations and returns to the negotiating table."

Howard Farrall, North West & Wales area operating director for Arriva UK Bus said: "We are very disappointed that we were unable to reach an agreement with Unite and GMB, who have confirmed they plan to hold a strike for an indefinite period across services in the North West from 2am on Wednesday (July 20).

"Our people play a hugely important role keeping Merseyside moving and they fully deserve a fair pay rise – especially with the cost-of-living increasing so much. 

"It's why despite the significant pressures on the bus sector with increasing costs and passenger numbers still at below pre-pandemic levels, we have offered our people a generous pay rise of 8.5% - an increase far higher than most workers are receiving from their employers at a time of considerable economic pressure."

Arriva say the offer would see bus drivers in Merseyside receive an hourly rate of £14.67 – the highest rate of major operators in the North West of England and an offer higher than Unite has recommended for approval with another operator in the City Region.

Howard Farrall continued: "We have tabled this offer during a time of significant focus on sustainability of our networks in partnership with our local public transport authorities, to ensure that Arriva continues to deliver and manage a viable bus network across the Region reflecting post-pandemic passenger trends.

"It isn't right that the Unions wouldn’t put this latest offer to their own members and allow them to exercise their democratic right to vote.

"The mandate for strikes arose from a ballot of Unite and GMB members on a previous pay offer, meaning strikes are continuing without the improved proposal being put to employees by the Unions Strike action is counter-productive, harms the communities and customers we serve, and damages bus travel at a time when we should all be focused on building recovery from the pandemic. 

"We’re calling on Unite & GMB to abandon their plans for this damaging strike and to ballot their members on the new offer.”

Services running out of Chester depot and into Chester from Wrexham and Rhyl are unaffected and will continue to operate. The special Liverpool Clatterbridge Hospital Shuttle service will also continue to operate during this time