Go North East: Unite paying striking staff £70 per day

Bus staff striking indefinitely over a pay dispute will continue to receive £70 per day "for as long as necessary", says workers' union Unite.

The union is understood to have paid more than £1m to Go North East staff during two previous weeks of action.

The 1,300 workers who walked out on Saturday claim pay does not match rates elsewhere in the country - in a stand-off that could last at least 12 weeks.

The bus operator said it was committed to resolving the dispute.

Unite members have rejected the company's most recent offer: a 10.3% pay rise followed by an above-inflation rise next year.

It said the proposed offer would have taken hourly rates up to £14.15 - which is still less than the £15.53 wage paid to Go North West staff.

Striking workers have so far received a £70 payment from the union - designed to help with living costs - for each day they have not turned up to work, except when on holiday or on sick leave.

Unite's Regional officer, Mark Sanderson, told the BBC this payment would continue, despite the prospect of costs running into many millions of pounds.

"The General Secretary Sharon Graham is very aware of this dispute," said Mr Sanderson.

"This is a huge dispute, and she's committed [to using] the full resources of the union, and the continuation of strike pay."

He said that it was a benefit of their union membership which "they pay into all the time when they're not on strike".

When asked by the BBC, some bus passengers said they support the presence of a fund for striking workers, but others said they were worried the payments would "extend the strike action" unnecessarily.

Picket lines have been set up outside Go North East depots in Gateshead, Sunderland, Washington, Hexham, Percy Main and Consett.

Go North East business director, Ben Maxfield, said: "Drivers wanted an above-inflation deal, no changes to conditions, and top-of-the-market rates.

"We responded to each and every one of those demands, which makes it hard to understand why the union would press ahead with 12 weeks of industrial action."

He added North West workers were paid more because "they are on different rostering arrangements and different conditions".

There is no set end date for the industrial action, the union said.

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