UNION bosses have rejected a new pay offer aimed at ending the long-running conductors dispute on Arriva Trains Northern.

The Rail Maritime and Transport Workers union said no to what would have amounted to a seven per cent basic rise, split over two years.

Arriva said the offer was rejected out of hand with no ballot offered to conductors.

Today's strike coincides with the Ebor race meeting at York - one of Europe's biggest - and action is also taking place over the bank holiday weekend.

More than three quarters of the network would be operating as normal, Arriva said.

Managing director Euan Cameron said conductors were offered a four per cent basic rise this year, plus about 1.5 per cent from proposed productivity gains.

A further three per cent was on the table from next April as part of the deal.

Mr Cameron said more and more conductors were returning to work on strike days, with ten per cent of the 700 strong workforce opting out of the strike action.

He said: "Our aim is to continue to run as many trains as possible, and the public understands what we are trying to do.

"The best thing the RMT can do is to listen to their conductors who are coming back every day because they have had enough."

RMT regional organiser Stan Herschel said conductors had been bullied back into work by strike-breaking tactics employed by Arriva.

He said members were continuing to hold out for a basic pay deal of between nine and ten per cent.

He admitted that the choice of strike dates was selective to "hurt Arriva financially".

Members of the RMT and the Transport Salaried Staffs' Association employed as retail staff by ATN will strike on Friday and Saturday in a separate pay dispute.