Arriva bus drivers based in Luton balloted over potential strike action

Around 700 of the union’s members, including drivers, have until September 4 to have their say on whether to take industrial action over pay.

The ballot covers workers across both Arriva the Shires and Arriva Kent Thameside, based at five different depots.

As well as Luton, out of which 50 routes operate per day, workers based in Milton Keynes, Hemel Hempstead, Stevenage and Ware are also being balloted.

Any strikes could begin in late September, with members balloted including drivers, managerial and administrative staff, engineers, cleaners and shunters.

Unite claims Arriva has offered drivers an increase of 65 pence per hour, equivalent to 3.82 per cent for a bus driver backdated to January 1 2025.

They describe this offer as below inflation, and claim it comes at the end of a financial year in which Arriva was purchased by new American owners I Squared Capital.

Unite regional officer Jeff Hodge said: "Our members at Arriva work very hard - this is a skilled and stressful job - and should be rewarded for their efforts with a decent pay rise, especially when Arriva is such a profitable company.

"We appreciate local residents may be frustrated with any potential industrial action but the fault lies with the employer.

"We urge Arriva to come back and offer a better deal for our members to avoid any strikes."

In a statement provided to National World, Arriva said: "We are aware that Unite plans to ballot its members about industrial action.

"We’d like to reassure our customers that our bus services continue to operate as timetabled and we will update our customers if the situation changes.

"We will continue to work with Unite to seek a resolution."

Have you got a story you want to share with our readers? You can now send it to us online via YourWorld at https://www.yourworld.net/submit/ It's free to use and, once checked, your story will appear on our website and, space allowing, in our newspapers.