There will be no strike, Arriva management know how to play the game. A few days before the first strike day they will offer a tiny extra increase which the union will have to put to the members for a vote, which will automatically put on hold any impending strike action for the forseeable future. Don't forget that the Unite union and its reps are historically spineless and self serving interested only in backhanders from Arriva in return for towing the line.

Thanks to Unite allowing Arriva to bring in a new pay structure without a vote from the members in 2017, all new starters at Jes/Ash/Blyth get 20% less for driving a big bus in service than they would have if they started prior to the new "agreement". Oh and just to add the Unite union rep at Jesmond was forced to leave recently after being caught fiddling his union expenses....