A SECOND bus strike by Arriva drivers that was due to start this weekend has been called off following an eleventh hour settlement between management and unions, it has been confirmed.

Bus services in North Yorkshire, Cleveland, Teesside and Durham areas were due to walk out for 10 days on Sunday, but will now continue to run as normal while the threat of further disruption to services has been eliminated as a result of the agreement reached by the two parties.

Arriva and the Unite union hammered out a new deal earlier this week and this was then put to drivers in workplace ballots on Wednesday and Thursday. 

Arriva’s offer was accepted by "an overwhelming" majority of drivers, bringing an immediate end to the industrial action. 

Nigel Featham, Arriva managing director for the region, welcomed the outcome of protracted negotiations, saying: “In the end, everybody emerged with a positive result. 

"Our passengers won’t have their travel plans inconvenienced any longer, we’ve backed our drivers with a firm financial commitment and we return our focus to the daily operation of the business."

Arriva say the new deal will see a reduction in the time, from five years to three years, it takes Arriva Durham area drivers to reach a new top pay rate of £10.60 an hour. 

In addition, there are hourly rate hikes for drivers with fewer than three years’ service, with all increases being backdated to March 2018.

A Unite spokesperson said: ‘We can confirm that our members have voted to accept the revised pay offer. Our members will now be working normally.

“We would like to pay tribute to our members for the strong solidarity they have shown during the course of this dispute.

"We look forward to a constructive dialogue with the management going forward for the benefit of the travelling public, the company and our hardworking members."