Hundreds of Go North East bus drivers begin week-long strike

Hundreds of Go North East drivers have walked out, including those in Hexham

Hundreds of bus drivers have started a week of strike action over pay and conditions, bringing all services to a stop.

Go North East workers from all six of its depots in Sunderland, Washington Gateshead, Hexham, Percy Main, Consett have walked out.

The bus company said it was unable to run any services except the "vast majority" of its school contracts.

Unite the Union said it was "always available to negotiate".

Last-minute pay talks between the operator and union bosses ended "without resolution", starting continuous disruption up until, and including, 6 October.

Another week of strike action between 14-20 October is planned, with the union not ruling out further action later in the year.

Dave Telford, from Unite, said Go North East had not provided a reasonable offer

Dave Telford, from Unite, joined more than a dozen workers at the picket line at the company's Hexham bus depot, where all buses have been suspended.

"Look, members don't want to be here," he told the BBC.

"These good people would rather be driving the buses, servicing the buses, and taking people to where they want to be.

"We've been forced into this position by the operator's refusal to table a reasonable offer."

Mr Telford said driver members were paid £12.83 an hour, while other drivers in the Go Ahead group were paid a minimum of £15 an hour.

Bus drivers previously told the BBC that an initial offer of 9.11% in the first year, followed by the rate of inflation next year, would cost drivers "hundreds of pounds" in the long-term.

Dozens turned out to the picket line at the firm's Consett depot

They said the company wanted to lock in a deal and strip away existing conditions, which include a reduction in paid meal breaks and the paid time to travel between depots.

In Durham city, large queues formed where the service 21 to Newcastle city centre would operate, every few minutes.

Meanwhile in Gateshead, passengers had to find alternative forms of transport, including using taxis to get to work.

Go North East said the company said it "could not have tried harder to solve this dispute" and proposed a revised 9.5% offer.

'Deepest apologies'

Business director Ben Maxfield said: "We've put more money on the table and listened to drivers who have asked us to slow down moves to bring their working practices into line with competitors.

"It now means, from this weekend, thousands of passengers will be disrupted.

The company, which runs 121 school buses, expects to cover the "vast majority" of those services, but said the general public, and pupils catching normal service buses, should make alternative arrangements.

Mr Maxwell added: "I would like to offer my deepest apologies to people across the region who will be affected by Unite's strike."

He said work would continue "towards the quickest solution possible".