Go North East ballot opens on continuing strike action

Go North East and Unite have been unable to reach a pay deal

Bus workers at Go North East are being balloted on extending strike action that began on 28 October to go beyond January.

The ballot opened on Friday 24 November and closes on Thursday 7 December.

Unite the union said it "expects workers to reconfirm their commitment to strike for an improved pay offer".

Go North East described any move to prolong the strike as "completely unnecessary" and urged union members to accept its latest offer.

The fresh ballot comes after recent talks failed and meant hundreds of bus drivers and workers could strike until April at the earliest.

• Indefinite bus strike continues as pay talks fail

Staff will vote on extending their legal protections against dismissal for a further three months.

Unite recently sent a delegation to Canada to meet the public sector investment bodies that own Go North East.

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

Staff have been picketing outside the company's depot in Sunderland

Unite's regional coordinating officer Suzanne Reid added: "We don't want this dispute to linger on and want this resolved as soon as can be for our members and the local communities.

"As soon as a realistic, improved offer is forthcoming we will take it to our members."

Go North East's business director, Ben Maxfield, said the firm was "deeply concerned" about the impact the walk-out was having on people in the region.

"Unite is less than four weeks into a 12-week strike so balloting to extend it at this point is completely unnecessary and will just bring more worry and heartache to people who rely on [the] bus service.

"This again puts into question how serious Unite is about a settlement, or whether the union's goal is simply to strike for as long as possible.

"We are urging Unite to recommend our latest deal to its members, so we can settle the dispute and get the region's buses back out on the road."