BUS drivers have threatened to strike if they fail to agree on a pay rise with management at a crunch meeting.

The 120 Transport and General Workers Union (TGWU) members at the former Wycombe Bus Company could walk out if Wednesday's meeting does not lead to what they hope will be a decent settlement.

Workers have been balloted by post and the result is due to be known next week.

Drivers, engineers, inspectors, office staff and cleaners at the company, sold to Arriva the Shires in December have been offered three per cent, but say it's not enough.

Drivers want the TGWU Outer London rate of £7.50 an hour, plus a shorter working week.

At present drivers get £6.40 an hour for a basic 43.5 hour week.

The pay rate covers anti-social hours and weekend working and brings in £278 a week.

A driver said: "It's not much when you have a family to bring up and when you have to get up at 5am sometimes, or work till midnight.

"It's expensive round here and you can't say you can't pay the full price for things in shops because you haven't had a pay rise."

The former Wycombe Bus Company covers the urban area of the town, and has routes to Oxford, Reading and Great Missenden.

Managing director of Arriva Paul Morgan said he hoped the meeting would sort the problem out.

He said: "We inherited this and we have arranged for discussions. Our intention is to resolve it."

He declined to say what sort of offer could be made.

The driver the Bucks Free Press spoke to said the pay increase should have come in last November and the workers had put in their claim in September.

Nothing was decided, but then the company said it was not prepared to make an offer and had been sold to Arriva the Shires.

The postal ballot is being conducted by the Electoral Reform Society. The ballot form asks members what, if any, industrial action they are prepared to take.

Options available include an all-out strike, a short strike and overtime ban.

Paul Burnham, press officer for Wycombe Trades Union Council, said wages had been good before the deregulation of the buses in the 80s, but since then they had cumulatively worsened under a succession of owners.