Go-Ahead to rationalise
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• Workers at Go-Ahead Northern, one of the NorthEast's biggest bus companies with 2,400 employees, face an uncertain future as manage ment puts together a corporate plan for next year designed to make the company "more competitive".
At two mass meetings in Newcastle last week, workers met the Transport & General Workers' Union to discuss the suggested changes, unpaid meal relief, altered pay rates for daytime women drivers which include reducing hourly pay rates, and restrictions on union activities. "Some of these suggestions would turn the clock back 30 years," says Maurice Mountford, joint committee chairman and driver with Go-Ahead. "Any move by the company to reduce wages and downgrade working condi tions will be strongly resisted."
Go-Ahead commercial director Chris Moyes dismisses the unions response as "jumping the gun" and says jobs at GoAhead are "as safe as any other jobs in this industry, which is still very fluid after deregulation". He admitted the company is reviewing the payment of overtime and premiums in order to "remain competitive with other companies in the area".
Go-Ahead announced the closure of its Murton depot near Seaham three weeks ago, with the loss of 20 jobs, The remaining 109 staff will be redeployed when the depot shuts in March.