Had a chat with the brother of one my colleagues outside the office today who works for GNE.

Was quite eye opening how GNE management have handled this one, showed a real lack of experience in union disputes and people management

They’re good at winning Twitter polls, vinyls and erm…helping in Manchester

(25 Sep 2023, 1:55 pm)Busu284 wrote Is it possible that if a Skelton service does happen. Would this cause some depot to shut and other depots run service.

East Cleveland already has enough competition to be honest.

Wonder what percentage of drivers which will be striking and which ones will be driving, I would also be interested in Union Members V Non-Union Memebers, and I wonder if theyll be driving, but theyll also reap the rewards.

Also can the drivers just put in a week holiday, or is that not allowed?

(25 Sep 2023, 7:03 pm)Unber43 wrote Wonder what percentage of drivers which will be striking and which ones will be driving, I would also be interested in Union Members V Non-Union Memebers, and I wonder if theyll be driving, but theyll also reap the rewards.

Also can the drivers just put in a week holiday, or is that not allowed?

What do you reckon?

(25 Sep 2023, 7:37 pm)R852 PRG wrote What do you reckon?

I assume no, But I don't get why not. 

Its their annual leave they should be able to use it as they please

(25 Sep 2023, 7:03 pm)Unber43 wrote Wonder what percentage of drivers which will be striking and which ones will be driving, I would also be interested in Union Members V Non-Union Memebers, and I wonder if theyll be driving, but theyll also reap the rewards.

Also can the drivers just put in a week holiday, or is that not allowed?

For the most part it’s a union shop, woe betide anyone who decides to cross any picket line.  You’ll always get the few kiss asses who don’t care though. 

I’d imagine if this the same as last time, unite agreed to pay a daily rate to members which is nigh on what you’d get paid on an average shift anyway - it’s a no brainer.

(25 Sep 2023, 7:42 pm)Unber43 wrote I assume no, But I don't get why not. 

Its their annual leave they should be able to use it as they please

It doesn't work like that. Whilst an employer has to give you at least the statutory amount of leave, they can tell you when you can and can't use it. In terms of bus operators, I think they all allocate blocks out amongst their workforce for the leave year.

What happens elsewhere, where workers generally have more flexibility over when to take annual leave, is employers will refuse any *new* annual leave requests when a strike is called. It's their prerogative to do so, but they have to ensure you still take the statutory amount of leave in a leave year. Any already booked leave is honoured.

For those new leave requests, unions would not normally challenge this, as it's as bad as scabbing to book annual leave to avoid striking.

What GNE does for those they've already allocated leave to remains to be seen. Of course if someone has one of those leave blocks, and they have no holidays planned, there's nothing stopping them striking and it'd be up to the company to allocate them another block of leave.


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(25 Sep 2023, 7:44 pm)xpm wrote For the most part it’s a union shop, woe betide anyone who decides to cross any picket line.  You’ll always get the few kiss asses who don’t care though. 

I’d imagine if this the same as last time, unite agreed to pay a daily rate to members which is nigh on what you’d get paid on an average shift anyway - it’s a no brainer.

I don't know how Managers/Supervisors can drive during strike days, surely theyre in a Union too, or is it after youve moved up all your morals just disappear

(25 Sep 2023, 8:25 pm)Unber43 wrote I don't know how Managers/Supervisors can drive during strike days, surely theyre in a Union too, or is it after youve moved up all your morals just disappear

It's called a conflict of interest.

(25 Sep 2023, 8:25 pm)Unber43 wrote I don't know how Managers/Supervisors can drive during strike days, surely theyre in a Union too, or is it after youve moved up all your morals just disappear

A rule of thumb to follow is that most of those who progress from the bottom up in service industries are, fundamentally, grovellers promoted beyond their ability and for their sheer spinelessness, typically very mediocre and with limited claim to distinction. 

The more time passes, the more they disassociate from the struggles that those beneath them in customer-facing roles endure, and the more they hassle those same people so as to maintain the precarity of their own position.

(25 Sep 2023, 9:04 pm)R852 PRG wrote A rule of thumb to follow is that most of those who progress from the bottom up in service industries are, fundamentally, grovellers promoted beyond their ability and for their sheer spinelessness, typically very mediocre and with limited claim to distinction. 

The more time passes, the more they disassociate from the struggles that those beneath them in customer-facing roles endure, and the more they hassle those same people so as to maintain the precarity of their own position.

I do wonder if there’s anyone remotely competent or experienced enough in the industry at GNE. Martijn seemed to fill it with enthusiasts who liked paint jobs

(25 Sep 2023, 9:04 pm)R852 PRG wrote A rule of thumb to follow is that most of those who progress from the bottom up in service industries are, fundamentally, grovellers promoted beyond their ability and for their sheer spinelessness, typically very mediocre and with limited claim to distinction. 

The more time passes, the more they disassociate from the struggles that those beneath them in customer-facing roles endure, and the more they hassle those same people so as to maintain the precarity of their own position.

I would love to see Nigel drive a bus on lates etc for a month or two with their working conditions and pay, same with Ben!

(25 Sep 2023, 3:27 pm)Adrian wrote Unite are looking after the interests of their members, which is the purpose of a Trade Union. It's the purpose of a business, such as Go North East, to look after the interests of their customers.

The purpose of a business like Go North East is to deliver for its shareholders, not its customers.

(25 Sep 2023, 7:49 pm)Adrian wrote It doesn't work like that. Whilst an employer has to give you at least the statutory amount of leave, they can tell you when you can and can't use it. In terms of bus operators, I think they all allocate blocks out amongst their workforce for the leave year.

What happens elsewhere, where workers generally have more flexibility over when to take annual leave, is employers will refuse any *new* annual leave requests when a strike is called. It's their prerogative to do so, but they have to ensure you still take the statutory amount of leave in a leave year. Any already booked leave is honoured.

For those new leave requests, unions would not normally challenge this, as it's as bad as scabbing to book annual leave to avoid striking.

What GNE does for those they've already allocated leave to remains to be seen. Of course if someone has one of those leave blocks, and they have no holidays planned, there's nothing stopping them striking and it'd be up to the company to allocate them another block of leave.


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Presumably they'd just cancel the holiday, as long as they give the length of the holiday plus one day it's perfectly allowed.

(25 Sep 2023, 9:47 pm)balise33 wrote The purpose of a business like Go North East is to deliver for its shareholders, not its customers.

Purpose and practice often differ. Maybe that's one of the reasons why so many businesses are in such a mess?

(25 Sep 2023, 9:59 pm)streetdeckfan wrote Presumably they'd just cancel the holiday, as long as they give the length of the holiday plus one day it's perfectly allowed.

That's likely the last thing an employer should consider doing, if they're already in dispute. They stand to gain nothing from doing it, other than creating further division between themselves and the workforce.

If they did do it, the worker is still eligible to take part in industrial action, and secondly, if they were undecided before, they'll absolutely take part in the action after having leave cancelled.

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If I've got holiday booked, it's because I'm doing something with that time off.
If an employer then cancelled it like that, you can rest assured I'm going to be on the picket lines with a flaming torch and a pitchfork!

(26 Sep 2023, 5:33 am)Ianthegoon wrote If I've got holiday booked, it's because I'm doing something with that time off.
If an employer then cancelled it like that, you can rest assured I'm going to be on the picket lines with a flaming torch and a pitchfork!

If I had a holiday booked with it all planned and paid for. I'd be going regardless.

If they want to disipline me for it, I'd also have a job application in at Arriva and/or Stagecoach.

The bus companies don't have any power over anyone lately as it's so easy to go a mile down the road and walk into a job, it's partly why all these strikes are happening in the first place as the unions know it too.

(25 Sep 2023, 10:50 am)mb134 wrote "Depots affected are Consett, Gateshead, Hexham, Percy Main (North Shields), Sunderland and Washington."

That is all depots right? I'd have thought it would be easier to communicate that all depots are impacted rather than listing a bunch of places, given most members of the public will have zero idea which depot runs their service and may think their service could still be running?

There’s a lot of comments on the facebook from people asking if the buses they use are still running. So yes they could’ve worded it better since the average joe won’t know how many depots they have or where they run from.


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If a driver is due to be on holiday when the strike is on, then they will still be on holiday. As Adrian has mentioned all large bus companies use holiday blocks and you have to take your holiday in the block you are assigned or get a swap.

I do think that if you ask for a lieu day or an ad hoc holiday off in the strike week, it will be declined.

5 hours ago:

Update on strike action: Wednesday 27 September

We are sorry to inform our passengers that talks with Unite are still ongoing.

Two weeks of strike action is planned for the following dates:

• Saturday 30 September - Friday 6 October inclusive
• Saturday 14 October - Friday 20 October inclusive

Depots affected are Consett, Gateshead, Hexham, Percy Main (North Shields), Sunderland and Washington.

These strikes will significantly impact our services and our advice to passengers is to make alternative travel arrangements.

We will do our best to run as many of our school services during the strikes as we can. These services can be found on our website https://gonortheast.co.uk/services/school-buses

We remain engaged in talks with Unite and are committed to finding a resolution that averts strike action.

(27 Sep 2023, 12:35 pm)Michael wrote 5 hours ago:

Update on strike action: Wednesday 27 September

We are sorry to inform our passengers that talks with Unite are still ongoing.

Two weeks of strike action is planned for the following dates:

• Saturday 30 September - Friday 6 October inclusive
• Saturday 14 October - Friday 20 October inclusive

Depots affected are Consett, Gateshead, Hexham, Percy Main (North Shields), Sunderland and Washington.

These strikes will significantly impact our services and our advice to passengers is to make alternative travel arrangements.

We will do our best to run as many of our school services during the strikes as we can. These services can be found on our website https://gonortheast.co.uk/services/school-buses

We remain engaged in talks with Unite and are committed to finding a resolution that averts strike action.

Strikes are to happen Saturday yet they have updated that it looks not a single one of there service will run now

Must say it's pretty impressive, for how s**t GoNorthEast is, that they've announced with 20 hours notice that there's no bus service at all after giving the impression there was going to be at least some form of limited service.

Horrid, horrid communication, queue the complaints big time and deservably so.

No doubt, it's to cause backlash against the driver's though as it's the sort of scummy tactics that the inept management seem to go for lately.

(29 Sep 2023, 8:28 am)Storx wrote Must say it's pretty impressive, for how s**t GoNorthEast is, that they've announced with 20 hours notice that there's no bus service at all after giving the impression there was going to be at least some form of limited service.

Horrid, horrid communication, queue the complaints big time and deservably so.

No doubt, it's to cause backlash against the driver's though as it's the sort of scummy tactics that the inept management seem to go for lately.

The webpage on the GNE website stated on Monday, and I quote "....our Skelton service will focus predominantly on ensuring that school services operate where possible". 

If I'm a user of the 21 or 56 service, my takeaway from that is my service would not be running.

(29 Sep 2023, 9:10 am)DeltaMan wrote The webpage on the GNE website stated on Monday, and I quote "....our Skelton service will focus predominantly on ensuring that school services operate where possible". 

If I'm a user of the 21 or 56 service, my takeaway from that is my service would not be running.

Honestly, I don't think most people would read it like that personally. Personally I'd read that as an ensurance to parents that their kids will get to school and prioritising boards on normal services where kids use it to go to school. There's plenty normal bus routes which are school buses aswell rather than only the school contracts.

I know when Arriva had the Jesmond strikes, they announced what would be running over a week in advance and it's the right thing to do, it shouldn't be done through cryptic clues.

The wording from Monday should have been, we will ONLY be running school contracts and apologise for the inconvenience caused.

Would you want to be on a bus driven by a scab? No thanks.

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Let's hope the GNE drivers don't give abuse to passengers like the Stagecoach drivers did....

One driver was shouting at passengers at the bus stop at the Wheatsheaf.

(29 Sep 2023, 9:20 am)Adrian wrote Would you want to be on a bus driven by a scab? No thanks.

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If a driver has chosen against striking then I'd respect his decision. I'm betting there will be some drivers who support the strikers, but simply can't afford to strike themselves.

 I'd also happily get on the bus if it got me to where I needed to be. I can still be behind the workers, while also needing to get to where I need to be. I guarantee if I strike at any point, the drivers would likely still be happy to speak to my none striking colleagues. Life goes on for everyone.

Personally I'm fully behind the drivers and staff who are striking. But I do hate the unions making villans of those who choose not to.

(29 Sep 2023, 9:20 am)Adrian wrote Would you want to be on a bus driven by a scab? No thanks.

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Surely some people won't have a choice? I understand the scab comments from a driver perspective but if someone lives in Washington and works in Newcastle and doesn't drive, they're left high and dry now with no alternative at all bar taxis since the bus deregulation has failed and GoNorthEast have a monopoly of the area.

It's not ideal, having 20 hours to ring up work and say I need a shift change either as I can't get in as it's too last minute.

(29 Sep 2023, 9:58 am)Shrek wrote If a driver has chosen against striking then I'd respect his decision. I'm betting there will be some drivers who support the strikers, but simply can't afford to strike themselves.

 I'd also happily get on the bus if it got me to where I needed to be. I can still be behind the workers, while also needing to get to where I need to be. I guarantee if I strike at any point, the drivers would likely still be happy to speak to my none striking colleagues. Life goes on for everyone.

Personally I'm fully behind the drivers and staff who are striking. But I do hate the unions making villans of those who choose not to

Totally agree with this.   To talk about ‘scabs’ is going back to the worst times of the 70s and 80s.  
Personally I would strike, however, I respect those who either can’t, or indeed, don’t agree with striking.

(29 Sep 2023, 9:58 am)Shrek wrote If a driver has chosen against striking then I'd respect his decision. I'm betting there will be some drivers who support the strikers, but simply can't afford to strike themselves.

 I'd also happily get on the bus if it got me to where I needed to be. I can still be behind the workers, while also needing to get to where I need to be. I guarantee if I strike at any point, the drivers would likely still be happy to speak to my none striking colleagues. Life goes on for everyone.

Personally I'm fully behind the drivers and staff who are striking. But I do hate the unions making villans of those who choose not to.

There's always a choice. It's not just about crossing the picket line, it's about undermining the dispute. There's nothing more demoralising than going on strike and making a stand, then watching your so-called colleagues go and help the management out.

From experience, I find these people are always happy to reap the rewards won by a dispute?

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