INDUSTRIAL action will leave passengers across Teesside, County Durham and parts of North Yorkshire without buses for 24 hours next Monday.

A long-running pay dispute has resulted in Arriva North-East drivers calling a series of one-day strikes after a vote by members of the Transport and General Workers' Union (TGWU)

The 833 members are battling for equal pay with other Arriva staff working in the region.

The union has told the company that its members in the area will start their strike action with a 24-hour walk out.

One Arriva driver, who works out of the Bishop Auckland depot but did not wish to be named, said: "We don't want to go on strike but we feel we have no other option.

"All we want is the same pay as other staff in the region who do exactly the same job.

"We feel the company is not taking our claims seriously."

A union spokeswoman said: "The drivers are looking for pay parity with staff from the Northumbria region, who are on £8 an hour.

"The striking drivers have been offered a two-year deal staged over four pay increases to take their wage to £7.60 an hour.

"There will now be a series of 24-hour strikes, starting on Monday, until the dispute is resolved."

No Arriva services will operate in County Durham and Teesside as a result of the strike.

Services from Whitby to Scarborough, in North Yorkshire, and Richmond to Darlington, will also be hit.

Steve Noble, managing director of Arriva North-East, said: "We are disappointed at the outcome of the ballot.

"Our main concern is for our customers, many of whom depend on our services for their day-to-day commuting, shopping and social needs.

"The offers that we have on the table would increase our drivers' hourly rate from £7 to £7.60 by July 2007.

"That's more than an 8.5 per cent rise. This is fair and reasonable and is well above the rate of inflation.

"We have been in negotiations with the TGWU since October, we have improved our initial offer, and we are open for meaningful talks at any point. We have already involved Acas in our negotiations and are happy to do so again."

He added: "The disruption will have a costly and damaging effect on our drivers, customers, our business and the region. We urge the union to reconsider."

Employees at Arriva's depots in Northumberland, Newcastle and North Tyneside are not affected by the strike.