HUNDREDS of Arriva bus drivers and engineers across north-east England have voted to accept an inflation-proof wage rise, their union, Unite announced today.

A massively improved 11.9 per cent deal for the more than 300 workers based in Newcastle and Northumberland came after they voted overwhelmingly for strikes, the union said.

General secretary Sharon Graham confirmed that the dispute has now ended and hailed the workforce for winning an “excellent deal by showing the company they were willing to take industrial action to secure a fair pay rise.

“Once again, Unite’s renewed and laser-like attention to improving jobs, pay and conditions has paid off for our members.”

The staff involved are based at depots in Ashington, Blyth and Walkergate.

Union regional officer Dave Telford said: “This deal is a prime example of why workers who want to improve their wages and working lives should join Unite.”

Arriva UK Bus Ltd, which employs 16,000 people to run nearly 6,000 services across England and Wales, is a subsidiary of German state-owned firm Deutsche Bahn.