Strike action at Arriva North West has to come to an end, after drivers accepted a revised pay deal from the operator.
Drivers voted 1,286 for and 547 against a pay deal of £12.10 per hour, an increase of 3.2%, which will increase to £12.42 in April 2018, a subsequent increase of 2.6%.
The deal means a planned four day strike which was due to take place up to December 24 has been called off.
The Arriva bus depots covered by the pay deal are Birkenhead, Bolton, Bootle, Green Lane (Stoneycroft), Macclesfield, Runcorn, St. Helens, Speke, Southport, Winsford and Wythenshaw.
Phil Stone, Managing Director of Arriva North West, said: “Throughout this dispute we have maintained that talks and compromise on both sides are the only way to find a resolution. This new agreement means our passengers no longer face the prospect of disruption in the run up to Christmas.
“We hold our drivers in the highest regard and this pay offer is a demonstration of our commitment to invest in our workforce.
“We apologise to our passengers for the disruption over recent weeks and are delighted we can now return to delivering the best possible service to our passengers and the local economy.”
Unite Regional Officer, John Boughton, commented: “This pay deal that our members have overwhelmingly accepted is a considerable improvement when set against the company’s original offer of 0.9% for year one.
“I would like to thank our members for the solidarity they have shown during this dispute and the fantastic support they received from the public and local politicians, which greatly contributed to this victory for pay justice.
“The bus drivers now look forward to doing what they do best, which is helping people to travel to work, getting to the shops, and visiting their friends and loved ones. The planned industrial action in the run-up to Christmas has been called off.
“Unite looks forward to working in a constructive fashion with the management going forward.”
