Nearly correct. 2000 students from Durham going to Redcar Races for the day being shuttled in on 20-30 buses.

Im sure it’s all managers and support staff, they’d never abandon their regular customers after doing all they can to avoid the strike

(06 Oct 2023, 9:42 pm)Ambassador wrote Im sure it’s all managers and support staff, they’d never abandon their regular customers after doing all they can to avoid the strike

I'd have thought all those managers and support staff would be taking their well deserved lieu day to be honest.
They've been working 5 days solid.

No picket lines since Wednesday at Washington depot.

(06 Oct 2023, 10:12 pm)idiot wrote No picket lines since Wednesday at Washington depot.

They were there on Thursday

(06 Oct 2023, 9:42 pm)Ambassador wrote Im sure it’s all managers and support staff, they’d never abandon their regular customers after doing all they can to avoid the strike

I wonder if it has been sub-contracted out to other operators..?


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I think the driver of the 635am 57 bus from wardley to town must still be on strike as it certainly didn't turn up at the bus stop I was waiting at at the advertised time!

more poor publicity for GNE

https://www.chroniclelive.co.uk/news/nor...d-27830208

(07 Oct 2023, 6:58 am)Rob44 wrote more poor publicity for GNE

https://www.chroniclelive.co.uk/news/nor...d-27830208

Ben quick on the case to say no. They really don't want bad press do they during strikes

(07 Oct 2023, 8:17 am)Busu284 wrote Ben quick on the case to say no. They really don't want bad press do they during strikes

Showing he's inadequate at his role. Best option after these strikes is for Ben & nigel to resign and get someone who knows how to treat their staff in.

so assaults by a bus in washington and other assaults in Percy Main and Riverside

Ben, in some cases it's probably better to just refuse to comment on things...

(07 Oct 2023, 11:22 am)F114TML wrote Ben, in some cases it's probably better to just refuse to comment on things...

He won't though that's the problem. He'll do anything to stop gne getting bad press over the strikes. Yes it's not the best story going round but anything that the non strikers do. He'll go hand in hand to defend gne in anyway possible

(07 Oct 2023, 11:22 am)F114TML wrote Ben, in some cases it's probably better to just refuse to comment on things...

Exactly. I'm sure he's not as wet between the ears as he comes across, but he could really do with a PR manager.

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Nice to see where back to normal of gne drivers now not giving a shit

352 driver pulls into stand Y at Haymarket. Sits there meant to depart from stand X. Left stand Y and drove out the bus station. Didn't pick anyone up

(07 Oct 2023, 3:05 pm)Busu284 wrote Nice to see where back to normal of gne drivers now not giving a shit

352 driver pulls into stand Y at Haymarket. Sits there meant to depart from stand X. Left stand Y and drove out the bus station. Didn't pick anyone up

Playing judge, jury and executioner, rather than considering that it may be an honest mistake?

Passengers should take some responsibility in this situation, too. If the driver is sat there looking like they're waiting to board the service, and it's close to departure time, then I'd be walking to the next stand and checking?

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(07 Oct 2023, 3:11 pm)Adrian wrote Playing judge, jury and executioner, rather than considering that it may be an honest mistake?

Passengers should take some responsibility in this situation, too. If the driver is sat there looking like they're waiting to board the service, and it's close to departure time, then I'd be walking to the next stand and checking?

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The times i waited for the 44 to the rigg in the haymarket - if it couldn't get into the stand they would pull in  to the closest one then the driver or the Inspector would shout 44 stand "x" rather than just sit there waiting and expecting people to use initchative

Wasn't a picket when I passed. They were there on Monday and Tuesday when I was going to and from work.

(07 Oct 2023, 9:55 am)Unber43 wrote so assaults by a bus in washington and other assaults in Percy Main and Riverside

Worth adding the word alleged there for now.

Spoke to a driver "today" who nearly broke down in tears getting off the bus and said sorry I just need a break

Chatter to him about the strike and his words I have to work for the next 19 days without a day off as I am not in the union and the they have just changed my shifts

I asked him if he would reconsider and join the union

Was nearly at bubbling point and explained a list of bills where he couldn't afford to go on strike as much as he would of joined but the strike money is just not enough at this monemt of time

I am forced to work

Solidarity to that driver

(09 Oct 2023, 10:58 pm)DaveFromUpNorth wrote Spoke to a driver "today" who nearly broke down in tears getting off the bus and said sorry I just need a break

Chatter to him about the strike and his words I have to work for the next 19 days without a day off as I am not in the union and the they have just changed my shifts

I asked him if he would reconsider and join the union

Was nearly at bubbling point and explained a list of bills where he couldn't afford to go on strike as much as he would of joined but the strike money is just not enough at this monemt of time

I am forced to work

Solidarity to that driver

That's a truly awful situation to be in, and I really feel for them.  Assuming they have been with the company long enough and qualify for the company sick pay the best thing they can do is to do the opposite of what they naturally feel, and get themselves off on the sick and give themselves time to breathe and regroup - although in not as bad a situation as that, it's something I have done personally - and they're quite within their rights to do so if the company are putting undue and unnecessary pressure on them to work in that way.  I just hope they're not in the situation where they rely on regular overtime to be able to pay the bills - it's an awful situation to be in.

(09 Oct 2023, 10:58 pm)DaveFromUpNorth wrote Spoke to a driver "today" who nearly broke down in tears getting off the bus and said sorry I just need a break

Chatter to him about the strike and his words I have to work for the next 19 days without a day off as I am not in the union and the they have just changed my shifts

I asked him if he would reconsider and join the union

Was nearly at bubbling point and explained a list of bills where he couldn't afford to go on strike as much as he would of joined but the strike money is just not enough at this monemt of time

I am forced to work

Solidarity to that driver

Ummm ..... isn't nineteen days without a day off just a bit ..... illegal?!

(10 Oct 2023, 6:20 am)Ianthegoon wrote Ummm ..... isn't nineteen days without a day off just a bit ..... illegal?!

Sounds to me like the driver has volunteered to work their rest days, and has probably gone from an early onto a late to ensure that they have 24hrs off between duties.

There is nothing like this in a rota. Some 4-day week drivers do an 8-day stint but get obviously then get 6 days off in a row.

There are some drivers out there - regardless of who they work for - that rely this heavily on overtime. Especially this time of year leading up to Christmas.

There are genuinely some drivers who cannot afford to strike - whilst there’s little difference on a flat week (£400 a week for 39hrs after tax if you work, £375 tax-free if you strike), the driver is also forfeiting overtime, back pay associated with the pay deal, extra holiday pay, their monthly attendance bonus, and so on. There’s more to the “package” than a drivers’ base rate so it’s not uncommon for drivers to take home £650+ a week after tax.


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£350 tax free

(10 Oct 2023, 6:41 am)Dan wrote Sounds to me like the driver has volunteered to work their rest days, and has probably gone from an early onto a late to ensure that they have 24hrs off between duties.

There is nothing like this in a rota. Some 4-day week drivers do an 8-day stint but get obviously then get 6 days off in a row.

There are some drivers out there - regardless of who they work for - that rely this heavily on overtime. Especially this time of year leading up to Christmas.

There are genuinely some drivers who cannot afford to strike - whilst there’s little difference on a flat week (£400 a week for 39hrs after tax if you work, £375 tax-free if you strike), the driver is also forfeiting overtime, back pay associated with the pay deal, extra holiday pay, their monthly attendance bonus, and so on. There’s more to the “package” than a drivers’ base rate so it’s not uncommon for drivers to take home £650+ a week after tax.


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Not uncommon? I mean i know a few people who do it yes but it requires 60+ hours so doing it now and again is fine, but its very uncommon for anybody to be able to do that on a consistent enough basis and I'd even argue it isnt safe for somebody to be doing that either

(10 Oct 2023, 8:44 am)sawyer.jshawn wrote Not uncommon? I mean i know a few people who do it yes but it requires 60+ hours so doing it now and again is fine, but its very uncommon for anybody to be able to do that on a consistent enough basis and I'd even argue it isnt safe for somebody to be doing that either

In the current climate where shifts are being split and drivers are paid 3hrs to do smaller portions of work, you don’t really need to work 60 hours to get to that number…


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(10 Oct 2023, 8:54 am)Dan wrote In the current climate where shifts are being split and drivers are paid 3hrs to do smaller portions of work, you don’t really need to work 60 hours to get to that number…


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Do you not? I need to speak to somebody then about why when i worked 56 hours one week i didn't get anywhere near 650 after tax.(and that was actual working hours not half shifts minimum payments) Or maybe the guys that are on the 50 hour week rotas that also wouldn't earn 650 after tax might also feel a little short changed.

Im not sayijng its not possible, but you stating it is not uncommon isn't true

(10 Oct 2023, 9:18 am)sawyer.jshawn wrote Do you not? I need to speak to somebody then about why when i worked 56 hours one week i didn't get anywhere near 650 after tax.(and that was actual working hours not half shifts minimum payments) Or maybe the guys that are on the 50 hour week rotas that also wouldn't earn 650 after tax might also feel a little short changed.

Im not sayijng its not possible, but you stating it is not uncommon isn't true

Think we found the culprit of the inflated salary earnings that drivers can make in the adverts - howay Dan - careful with that nose - it's gonna poke someone's eyes out.

Got a message from Kemp Recruitment today, immediate starts for bus drivers, so GNE obviously getting desperate. Good job I'm not lol.

(10 Oct 2023, 10:23 am)xpm wrote Think we found the culprit of the inflated salary earnings that drivers can make in the adverts - howay Dan - careful with that nose - it's gonna poke someone's eyes out.

There are strict policies in advertising, especially for TV (a platform where this advert was used).

I think we can be quite confident that the company clearly had evidence of this annual earnings figure being genuine.

It goes without saying that it relied upon overtime and would have included accident and attendance bonuses.

No porky pies being told here.


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