Bus drivers are going on strike in a dispute with bosses over pay.

Services from the Macclesfield depot will be hit if Arriva drivers carry out plans to strike on three separate days.

The strikes start on Thursday, October 19, ­­and will also take place on Monday, October 23 and Monday, October 30.

Union leaders say they are over ‘pitiful’ pay offers’ and wage inequality between bus garages across the region.

Arriva runs 15 services from Macclesfield, including routes to town estates like the Weston and Hurdsfield, to Bollington and further afield to Congleton and Crewe.

The action comes after the Unite and GMB unions balloted for strike action, with more than 2,000 bus drivers and engineering staff across the whole North West due to take part.

Unite regional officer Neil Clarke, who represents the Macclesfield workers, said: “Our members are fed up with pitiful pay offers and Arriva’s ‘pick and mix’ approach to wages where some depots get a pay rise and others don’t. This has resulted in wage inequality across a number of depots and is in stark contrast to the company’s claim to be an industry leader in the treatment of its workforce.

“We urge Arriva to put its money where its mouth is and stop treating its loyal workforce so abysmally and that it starts investing in the people who generate the wealth within the business.

“Arriva is owned by the German transport giant Deutsche Bahn AG and has huge financial resources. All we are seeking is a fair and reasonable pay award.”

Unite is calling for the company to address wage inequality between depots which it says can be as much as £1.73 an hour.

Bus passenger Julie-Anne Galloway, who uses the number 130 bus, will be affected by the strikes.

She said: “It’s literally the only way I can get into work. Thankfully, I’m lucky in that I have the option to work from home, but what about others that don’t have that luxury.”

Phil Stone, regional managing director of Arriva North West, said they will attempt to reach an agreement before the planned strikes.

He said: “The potential strike dates have been confirmed as 19th, 23rd and 30th October 2017.

“However there is a further meeting planned this week with our union colleagues to have further dialogue over the outcome of this vote and to try and reach an agreement that benefits everybody.”