‘The money is there, but the company won’t stump up’
Elaine Brunskill, Newcastle Socialist Party
As Go North East Bus drivers entered their fourth week of all-out strike action, there’s a mood of gritty determination on the picket line.
A picket line visit by Sharon Graham, Unite’s general secretary, really boosted the confidence of the strikers. The mood is that this is a strike they will win.
Local news channels have been running stories about the difficulties facing vulnerable people because of the strike – with an unspoken inference that it is the fault of the drivers. However, Sharon emphasised that Go North East could end this strike with the stroke of a pen, and that the parent company “is awash with cash, but won’t stump up the funds it would cost them to end this dispute right now.”
The mood of the strikers has been further lifted by one driver, who had initially crossed the picket line, joining the strike.
