Leeds buses: Union chief warns strike action will continue 'indefinitely' as Arriva bus drivers strike in row over pay

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

Phil Bown, Unite's regional officer, apologised for the disruption to passengers but said drivers have no intention of standing down.

"The passengers are collateral damage which is unfortunate. I do feel sorry for them and I want to apologise for the inconvenience but my members can't continue putting up with what they do," Mr Bown told the YEP.

"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."

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

Arrive 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.

"It's totally down to Arriva coming to the table and opening negotiations," he said.

"If they came to the table with a genuine offer tomorrow that I could recommend then I could stop strike action tomorrow."

Gavin Peace, Area Operations Director for Arriva North East & Yorkshire, said he was 'extremely disappointed' at the strike action.

"There is simply no justification for this action which will seriously inconvenience communities across Yorkshire, including students travelling for their GCSE exams," he said.

"Arriva put forward a generous pay offer before the strike was called, yet the Union refused to put this offer to their own membership and are instead choosing to strike."

Mr Peace also rejected suggestions that the strike follows a 4.1 per cent pay offer.

“This is incorrect. Arriva offered a substantially improved pay offer which Unite are refusing to ballot their members on," he said.

"The strike should be immediately suspended while Unite’s members vote on the fair and generous offer.”

In a statement provided to the YEP, Matthew Topham of Better Buses for West Yorkshire, called for public control.

“If Arriva won’t even let drivers’ pay keep pace with inflation, things will only get worse. They must resolve the strike with a real-terms pay increase as soon as possible," he said.

“We need public control to give local people the power to prioritise drivers’ pay and reliability for passengers over the interests of distant shareholders.”

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.

Tracy Brabin, Mayor of West Yorkshire, has called on both sides to come together in order to bring the dispute to a timely end.

“I know this strike action will cause hardship to people who will be unable to reach hospital appointments, get to work, go shopping or just see friends and family," she said.

“People deserve to be paid appropriately for the work they do, and I urge both sides of this dispute to get together to find a solution as soon as possible.”

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