Arriva bus strike: West Yorkshire bus drivers relaunch strike action after rejecting new pay offer

Bus drivers in West Yorkshire will relaunch strike action today in a bitter dispute over pay, amid accusations that management at Arriva Bus have “meddled” during the ballot process.

Negotiations which were reopened following a period of strike action last month resulted in a new offer which has been rejected by workers.

Why are Arriva bus drivers on strike?

Back in May, workers voted overwhelmingly in favour of strike action after rejecting a pay offer of 4.1%, pointing to the rising cost of living which the union says is leaving many of their members struggling to make ends meet.

Speaking at the time, union figures said the dispute as being “entirely of Arriva’s own making,” and have said throughout that action can be avoided if an acceptable offer is tabled.

Around 650 workers, including drivers and engineers, launched indefinite strike action on 6 June, which was then suspended on 30 June while a new offer was being considered.

Unite regional officer Phil Brown said: “Strike action was suspended in good faith to allow our members to vote on Arriva’s new offer. Since then, Arriva’s management has gone out of its way to destroy any goodwill by interfering during the ballot, which is completely unacceptable.

“Our members want to get back to work, but that requires Arriva to put forward a new offer and for the company to leave the workforce alone while they consider it.”

Workers have raised concerns about pay amid the cost of living crisis, and also the difficulty of attracting and retaining new workers in the industry when the current starting rate of pay for newly recruited bus drivers is £9.78 an hour - just 28 pence above the minimum wage.

Workers across the country have been asking for pay rises that keep pace with inflation, which has hit a historic high in recent months and is forecast to continue rising.

The new offer which was put forward following negotiations was rejected, with all-out strike action restarting in the early hours of this morning (13 July).

Since 2010 Arriva has been owned by Deutsche Bahn, or DB, which is in turn owned by the German state.

According to the most recent accounts filings for Arriva Bus UK Limited, made up to 31 December 2020, total directors’ pay rose from £810,000 in 2019 to £1.3 million in 2020.

The highest paid director in 2020 received £418,000, a significant increase compared with 2019, when they received £265,000.

Unite general secretary Sharon Graham has accused Arriva of “meddling” during the most recent balloting process.

She said:“Our members have rejected Arriva’s offer – it must come back with an improved one. As part of a global transport giant, it can afford to do so.

“Tensions have needlessly been raised by Arriva’s management meddling during the ballot. The company’s actions have severely backfired. It is entirely Arriva’s own fault that the strikes are back on.”

Where will there be disruption as a result of the strike?

The dispute involves Unite members at Arriva West Yorkshire, with the strikes directly impacting depots in Castleford, Dewsbury, Heckmondwike, and Wakefield, as well as Selby in North Yorkshire.

Arriva has confirmed that Arriva North East bus services that operate into North Yorkshire will not be affected.

The company has also said it intends to run the “limited school service” which it ran during the previous strike days.

A spokesperson for Arriva UK Bus said the decision to call a strike was “appalling” and “shocking”.

They said: “Customers who will be relying on buses to travel will be seriously inconvenienced with no warning provided. And for such damaging action to be taken when half of the drivers have not voted to support returning to strike action is shocking.”

“We are deeply frustrated on behalf of all our customers and the communities we serve for the disruption they face.”

“Following extensive negotiations, we have already put forward a fair and generous offer which helps address the cost of living challenge, despite passenger numbers being lower than before the pandemic.”

“Unite should immediately call off the strike and we are calling on ACAS to mediate.”

Workers across other parts of the Arriva could soon join their West Yorkshire colleagues in strike action, after almost 2,000 voted in favour of action in the North West, and around 900 are currently being balloted in Bedfordshire, Buckinghamshire and Hertfordshire.