New Go North East ballot set to determine future of strike action

Bus workers at Go North East are being balloted in their continuing industrial dispute with the travel.

Unite, the union working with bus drivers has asked its members at Go North East to vote to continue strike action in their battle for fair pay and conditions, it was announced on Friday.

The ballot will opened on Friday 24 November and is set to close on Thursday 7 December.

The union claim the fresh ballot is necessary as despite lengthy negotiations the company has not formally made an improved offer to its workers.

Unite general secretary Sharon Graham said: “The Go Ahead group is awash with cash, pays huge salaries to its executives and yet treat workers and their communities in the North East with utter disdain by using them as cheap labour.

“Go North East needs to see reason and make a fair pay offer to resolve this dispute.”

Unite recently sent a delegation to Canada to meet with the public sector investment bodies who own Go North East and has now written to the CEO of Globalvia, the Spanish transport company that owns a controlling stake in the business.

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Unite regional coordinating officer Suzanne Reid added: “We remain ready to negotiate with Go North East but all we’ve had so far from them is talk and no new offer on the table. We are now undertaking a fresh ballot of our members so they don’t fall victim to any dirty tricks from Go North East’s management. 

"We don’t want this dispute to linger on and want this resolved as soon as can be for both our members and the local communities. As soon as a realistic, improved offer is forthcoming we will take it to our members.”