THOUSANDS of striking bus drivers in the West Midlands have voted to accept an inflation-busting pay rise, Unite announced on Saturday.

More than 3,100 workers – employed by National Express to service the English region’s local bus routes — backed an offer which includes a whopping 16.2 per cent wage boost, bringing the long-running dispute to an end, the union confirmed.

The firm, which Unite had accused of indulging in union-busting tactics during the standoff, has also guaranteed to implement new terms and conditions that were agreed with the union last autumn – a “key sticking point in the dispute,” Unite said.