Dates announced for strike

Monday 11th Aug
Tuesday 12th Aug
Monday 18th Aug
Thurs 21st Aug

Drivers at Slatyford and Walkergate

Engineers and Cleaners at Newcastle, Shields and Sunderland

https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/articles/c17n0gvrlrpo

Not been too militant with those dates mind.

No football or major event clases, kids still off school.

(29 Jul 2025, 2:29 pm)Ambassador wrote Not been too militant with those dates mind.

No football or major event clases, kids still off school.

Maybe not but still means people struggling to get to work, appointments, no day out anyway for anyone who don’t have a car.  

Come September if it’s not sorted then it will hit hard.

(29 Jul 2025, 8:16 pm)col87 wrote Maybe not but still means people struggling to get to work, appointments, no day out anyway for anyone who don’t have a car.  

Come September if it’s not sorted then it will hit hard.

Isn't that the idea of industrial action..

(30 Jul 2025, 1:46 am)Retro Nero wrote Isn't that the idea of industrial action..

Yep... I understand people being frustrated when they can't travel because of it, but the frustration should be directed at the management of the business. 

Nobody wants to strike. It's a last resort when negotiations are exhausted.

If there is a strike GNE would be better to put deckers on the 684/74/355/354/352/301 & Q3. Otherwise it's going to be very snug on those buses... This should be easier without Scholars if during holidays

The X39 may finally regain its traffic back from the 22X - ironically lost during GNE's strike/general incompetence period

(30 Jul 2025, 9:20 am)Adrian wrote Yep... I understand people being frustrated when they can't travel because of it, but the frustration should be directed at the management of the business. 

Nobody wants to strike. It's a last resort when negotiations are exhausted.

I think this is why the unions have been sensible with the dates they've chosen here. The ones where they threaten to strike when big events are on don't do the unions or the staff any favours. Hitting general work days people tend to be more understanding.

(30 Jul 2025, 2:12 pm)Ambassador wrote The X39 may finally regain its traffic back from the 22X - ironically lost during GNE's strike/general incompetence period

Are we not still living through that?

That GNE strike was awful back in ,i cant even remember whether if it was 2022 or 2023 but i remember people after school relying on the q3 but couldn’t so either walked back to great park or stayed at grandparents houses.And getting to metrocentre from town was chaos.We should just hope we never ever get a strike like GNEs again

(30 Jul 2025, 6:40 pm)Shrek wrote I think this is why the unions have been sensible with the dates they've chosen here. The ones where they threaten to strike when big events are on don't do the unions or the staff any favours. Hitting general work days people tend to be more understanding.

Disagree here mind. Strikes aren't there for the public to understand. If you want impact then you hit the worst days, ie when big events on. 

Whether the public like you or not is completely irrelevant, who cares. They have a job to drive a bus and the safety of passengers while on the vehicle, beyond that they don't care whether you like them or not. It's a job which no doubt most can't stand a chunk of their customers or their management either.

Kind of related to this subject, but not worth a whole new thread is that Arriva Durham County drivers accepted their new pay offer by ballot today, along with engineering staff. So there is zero risk of IA at Arriva again this year, as Northumbria was settled earlier in 2025.

The offer was close to inflation I believe, with drivers rate pushed to just over £15 per hour, still slightly lower than Northumbria but narrowing again this time.

(31 Jul 2025, 5:54 pm)Superman wrote Kind of related to this subject, but not worth a whole new thread is that Arriva Durham County drivers accepted their new pay offer by ballot today, along with engineering staff. So there is zero risk of IA at Arriva again this year, as Northumbria was settled earlier in 2025.

The offer was close to inflation I believe, with drivers rate pushed to just over £15 per hour, still slightly lower than Northumbria but narrowing again this time.

Comfortably accepted at that, from what I've been told.

Weekday rates of £12.60, £13.00 & £15.00 I believe, with 6 months shaved off probation as well.