Hundreds of Arriva bus workers in Newcastle and Northumberland are being balloted for strike action in a dispute over pay.
The dispute involves 330 drivers and engineers who are members of the Unite union and are based at the Ashington, Blyth and Walkergate depots.
The union says that workers have been offered a pay increase worth 10% - which would be paid in two stages - for the drivers on the highest pay rate, with other workers receiving considerably lower pay offers. Unite said the offers are a "substantial real terms pay cuts" as the current real rate of inflation (RPI) stands at 13.4%.
