The largest North East bus company, Go North East, has proposed mediated pay talks after more than 1000 bus workers across the North East voted to strike. 

Union Unite yesterday (Wednesday, September 13) announced that 1,300 of its members were set to strike following a ballot. Of the 85 per cent turnout,  98 per cent were in favour of industrial action. 

Today (Wednesday, September 14), Go North East, the region’s largest bus operator, has proposed ACAS-brokered talks with trade union, Unite, in a bid to prevent industrial action.

Read more about the strike here. 

A Go North East spokesperson said: "The company has made hundreds of its drivers an exceptional offer to increase pay by £2,400 per year. If the proposal is agreed payments will be backdated to 1 July.

"Bosses at the firm have agreed to stick with an inflation-busting pay proposal despite making losses of £4.3 million in its most recent published accounts.

"If the proposal – which also involves some standardisation of working practices across its six depots – is accepted, drivers will also be guaranteed a further inflation-linked pay increase next year.

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"Unite the union has so far refused to engage with the offer."

But Unite said that workers are undertaking the action after being offered a "derisory" and "below-inflation" pay offer, including cuts to terms and conditions.

The union also noted administrative and clerical staff have not received a pay offer.

Depots that may be affected if the industrial action goes ahead include Consett, Gateshead, Hexham, Percy Main (North Shields), Sunderland and Washington.

Go North East business director, Ben Maxfield, said, “The two most talked about inflation measures, CPI and RPI are currently running at 6.4% and 9.0% respectively. Our offer of 9.11% beats both these figures and means our driver pay package will be among the very best in the region.

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“Unite is claiming - without any attempt at justification - that drivers have been offered a below-inflation pay increase. The bottom line is that this simply isn’t true, which means that Unite would be striking for something they have already been offered.

“It’s not in our interests, or our passengers’ interests, to have a strike. Unfortunately, it appears some elements within Unite are hell-bent on this course of action, but we believe most of our drivers will want to see successful ACAS negotiations.

“Of course, we value our drivers highly, and want to do the best for them. We never take them for granted, and we will be entering talks – if Unite accepts them – in that spirit”.