A STRIKE by Arriva bus drivers across St Helens and the wider region is entering a fourth week – with no sign of the deadlock being broken as the Star went to press.

1,800 Arriva drivers in Merseyside and Greater Manchester walked out on July 20 for a continuous strike due to a dispute over pay.

The action is in response to what union bosses have called a "pitiful" pay offer in the face of the ongoing cost of living crisis and soaring inflation, which is expected to reach 11 per cent by the end of the year.

Arriva state they have offered an increase of 8.5 per cent, however union representatives have said that offer involved strings being attached. They also say it was split into two parts, with 5 per cent until October and then another 3.5 per cent from then.

Further talks took place last week but broke down and, as the Star went to press, there were no signs of them resuming.

The strike is having a knock on effect on people across St Helens, many of whom rely on buses as their primary form of transport to get to work, visit shops, or go about their daily business. There are also concerns about the impact on the local economy, particularly town centres and other retail areas, which are already facing challenges.

Drivers at the St Helens bus depot on Jackson Street remain determined.

Speaking at the picket line on Wednesday, Stewart Marsh, from St Helens branch of Unite, said: “We are all as determined as we were on day one, we are solid.

We really just want Arriva to come back to the table with an offer that is right and we can end this. Otherwise it can take another week 10 weeks or more we can’t back down. We’ve come too far to give up now.

“We understand that people are being affected by this and it is Arriva who should be doing something to make this stop. We are only asking for what is fair.

“We are one of 10 garages [across the region], there is 1800 of us it’s really strong and we aren’t backing down.”

Arriva's latest statement, dated August 5, read: "Despite further negotiations today and having done all we can to make another improved offer, the unions have once again chosen to walk away, causing further misery for our passengers.

"At this point, we are left questioning why they refuse to give their members the opportunity to vote on our offers, which would make our drivers the highest paid in the region.

"We would like to apologise to our passengers for the ongoing disruption that this dispute is causing to their everyday lives.

"On our side, we are acting in good faith and doing all we can to find a resolution.

"We urge Unite and GMB to do the same, reconsider their position, call an end to inappropriate strike action and give their members the opportunity to ballot on our latest offers."

Today, Wednesday, GMB union stated that negotiations have broken down between unions and Arriva, after the company offered an 8.9% rise, when the initial rejected offer was 8.5% and a non-consolidated £250 one off bonus George Patterson, GMB regional organiser, said: “Working people are facing the worst cost of living crisis for a generation. A real terms pay cut will not cut it.

“We need to see serious shifts from Arriva or bus drivers will have no choice but to strike.

“We approached these negotiations in good faith. Trifling offers from Arriva simply aren’t good enough.”