Interesting thought that if talks have been unsuccessful is for Unite and GNE to compromise.

The compromisation would be is that members aka drivers will return to work and drive and operate buses but will be unable to accept cash or card payments or use the ticket machines button functions except to register a new service journey/duty route to enable real data for feeds etc for the benefit of customers and management to monitor timekeeping performance.

In brief....

No driver to accept any cash
No driver to accept card payments

If they arrive at the end destination 4 min late the bus leaves 4 min late on its next journey

Union members are allowed to place a sign over the ticket machine to state sorry this ticket machine is on strike today and your journey today on this service is free of charge

That is a compromise