Leeds buses: Everything you need to know as Arriva bus drivers strike across Leeds and Yorkshire with all services cancelled

The industrial action by Unite members started at 2am on Monday (June 6) and is to last for 'for an undisclosed period of time'.

The strikes will cause significant disruption, with no bus services across the region until the industrial action ends.

Here's everything you need to know.

Where do the strikes cover?

Arriva will be unable to operate bus services across Leeds, Wakefield, Dewsbury, Castleford, Pontefract, Heckmondwike, Cleckheaton, Bradford, Ossett, Batley, Morley, Rothwell, South Elmsall, Hemsworth, Huddersfield, Halifax, Doncaster, Selby, York and Goole during the industrial action.

Arriva North East bus services that operate into North Yorkshire are not affected.

Why are drivers striking?

Arriva Yorkshire's offer of a 4.1 per cent pay increase has been described as 'pitiful' compared to the real inflation rate (RPI), which currently stands at 11.1 per cent.

Drivers are looking for an hourly fee of approximately £13.50.

What are the union saying?

"We have been trying to resolve this for eight months without hurting passengers but Arriva aren't interested. They are the ones that have caused the strike, no one else." said, Phil Bown, Unite's regional officer.

"It's totally down to Arriva coming to the table and opening negotiations. If they came to the table with a genuine offer tomorrow that I could recommend then I could stop strike action tomorrow."

What are Arriva saying?

Arriva has repeated its request to Unite’s leadership to immediately end the strike so that their union members can vote on the pay offer.

The bus company have rejected claims that their pay offer was just a 4.1 per cent increase. Claiming that they instead offered figures of between a 7 and 12.5 per cent pay increase.

"This is an unprecedented pay offer, with increases far higher than most workers are receiving from their employers at a time of considerable economic pressure." said, Gavin Peace, Area Operations Director for Arriva North East & Yorkshire.

"We’re baffled as to why the Unite trade union wouldn’t put this generous offer to their own members and allow them to exercise their democratic right to vote. This unjustified strike is causing such disruption for the public and it should be called off immediately."