Around 650 Arriva North East drivers halted plans to strike on Sunday 16 December to vote on a revised pay offer, after talks between management and the Unite union.
The talks, which lasted three days, resulted in a revised pay offer being made to drivers based at Darlington, Durham, Redcar, Stockton and Whitby.
Arriva’s management told the Teeside Gazette that its latest offer included a fairer system for back pay awards, a 7.6% hourly pay rise over two years, and a pay review date set in March 2020.
Regional Managing Director of Arriva Yorkshire and Arriva North East, Nigel Featham, said: “All parties have moved a long way to arrive at this position, in the interest of both our passengers and drivers.
“I sincerely hope that when the revised deal is put to a ballot our drivers agree to back it.”
Unite Regional Officer, Bob Bolam, said: “We have had three days of intensive talks with the management and have now reached a stage where a revised pay offer can be put to our members.
“We will not be discussing the details of the revised offer until our members have had an opportunity to consider and vote on it. We expect that to happen in the next few days.
“In the meantime, the strike action, due to have started tomorrow has been suspended and our members are currently working normally.”
