Bus drivers vote on pay deal as strike postponed

US drivers at Bristol's two biggest bus depots began voting on whether to accept a new pay offer from bosses at First Bus yesterday with the possibility of more than a week more of strike action waiting on the outcome.

- TRISTAN CORK

> Striking First Bus drivers rally in Bristol city centre earlier this month

(Paul Gillis)

A planned strike was due to begin this week, but has been put on hold until this coming weekend, to allow drivers to be balloted on the new offer.

Drivers at the Lawrence Hill and Hengrove depots were due to walk out tomorrow, for a strike that they said would last two weeks.

But on Friday, the conciliation service Acas brought the two sides together and a revised deal was agreed between bosses and reps from the drivers’ union, Unite.