You won't be able to get a bus to Sandbach, Macclesfield or Crewe with Arriva buses tomorrow.

As heat provides disruption to public transport, there won't any respite later in the week either for certain bus users either, due to industrial action.

You probably won't see an Arriva bus in Congleton for a few days, with an imminent strike set to last indefinitely, until a resolution is met.

The strike by Arriva employees is expected to disrupt bus services on from Wednesday 20 July. 

Arriva bus drivers and support staff will begin strike action from 2am, and will be happening across the North West.

Arriva staff are in dispute with the company over pay, raising the prospect of large-scale disruption for public transport passengers in the region.

There will be no planned Arriva bus services operating within Cheshire, Merseyside, Greater Manchester, Lancashire, except for local Macclesfield services which will all run with the exception of service 38 (which goes through Congleton). 

Employees voted overwhelmingly for industrial action. And strike action does not have an end date, but Arriva management will be holding further talks with the unions this week in a bid to swiftly resolve the dispute

Howard Farrall, North West & Wales Area Operating Director for Arriva UK Bus told Macclesfield Nub News the following:

"We are very disappointed that we were unable to reach an agreement with Unite and GMB, who have confirmed they plan to hold a strike for an indefinite period across services in the North West from the morning of Wednesday July 20," they said.

"Our people play a hugely important role keeping communities moving and they fully deserve a fair pay rise – especially with the cost-of-living increasing so much.  

"It's why despite the significant pressures on the bus sector with increasing costs and passenger numbers still at below pre-pandemic levels, we have offered our people a generous pay rise of 8.5% - an increase far higher than most workers are receiving from their employers at a time of considerable economic pressure.

"Furthermore, we have tabled this offer during a time of significant focus on sustainability of our networks in partnership with our local public transport authorities, to ensure that Arriva continues to deliver and manage a viable bus network across the Region reflecting post-pandemic passenger trends.

"It isn't right that the Unions wouldn't put this latest offer to their own members and allow them to exercise their democratic right to vote. The mandate for strikes arose from a ballot of Unite and GMB members on a previous pay offer, meaning strikes are continuing without the improved proposal being put to employees by the Unions.

"Strike action is counter-productive, harms the communities and customers we serve, and damages bus travel at a time when we should all be focused on building recovery from the pandemic. 

"We're calling on Unite & GMB to abandon their plans for this damaging strike and to ballot their members on the new offer.

"All local Macclesfield services will run with the exception of service 38."

Unite and GMB have been contacted for comment.

The disrupted bus passes through places such as Macclesfield, Gawsworth, Rode Heath, Congleton, Eaton, West Heath, Arclid, Sandbach, and Haslington, before reaching Crewe.

People are being urged to make alternative travel arrangements. Macclesfield bus services provided by other operators are expected to be operating as normal.

Other bus operators at Congleton Bus Station, of Market Square, will not be affected.

Arriva customers with pre-paid tickets travelling will be able to use them on buses operated by D&G Buses.

Congleton: Have you signed up for our FREE Friday weekly newsletter? It contains each week's essential Congleton news stories, and one EXCLUSIVE article?

Close to 4000 of you have signed up already. Simply enter your email address in the shaded box below or on this link.

Free from pop-up ads, or unwanted surveys, Congleton Nub News is a quality online newspaper for our town.

You can find us on Facebook and Twitter.