I'm curious to know why GNE drivers think they can get a better outcome than Unite achieved for their Arriva neighbors (a one year barely above RPI rise, and without preventing major job losses) when that dispute had the advantage of drivers being able to say, well, we'll just go work for GNE if you don't give us what we want, and while inflation was already coming down, it was stil in the headline grabbing "double digits".
RPI was actually 13.4% in January when GMB laughably described their 11% outcome for Stagecoach Sunderland as a "massive" win, coming only after drivers had to strike for multiple days. I dare say GNE drivers won't be issuing the threat of saying they will go work for Stagecoach instead.
Unite did secure the very impressive 16% three year deal in the West Midlands in March, better even than London drivers despite rents being markedly lower, but it came at huge cost, in both the reputation of drivers and in the inevitable job losses, now and in the future, given this huge pay award is only sustainable with the fare rises and service cuts that followed.
Unite's argument that the cash rich owning group could well afford this rise was debunked immediately, because as everyone knows, unlike governments, capitalism is loath to funnel cash from profitable units to unprofitable ones unless there is a clear and obvious benefit. Paying West Midlands bus drivers more has no real benefit in these times of stagnation and cuts, even less now there is no other company in the region paying more.
That company will gradually bleed routes and drivers until the distorting effect of your costs not matching your revenues has abated, by which time several drivers will have defaulted on their mortgages and will be working in warehouses on minimum wage, wondering where the benefit to them was from that collective action.
While obviously GNE would rather drivers drove buses than stand on pocket lines, it isn't like they have any real reputation left as a company to protect, the network and service is already in disarray, but things would have to get so much worse before the shareholders worried about permanently losing their market and geographic dominance, the latter actually being more of a millstone when your costs are high and workers are the primary obstacles to efficiency savings.
RE: Go North East - 2023 Pay Deal and Industrial Action