BUS passengers in Gateshead face another black Friday as drivers stage their third one-day strike.
Go Gateshead buses will be off the road again because Transport and General Workers' Union members have rejected a four per cent pay offer.
The company, whose directors got rises of up to 17 per cent, says its offer included improved overtime payments, bank holiday rates, holiday entitlements and sickness benefits.
Now it is calling for the dispute to be taken to the arbitration service ACAS.
Martin Harris, commercial director of parent company Go North-East, said: "Unfortunately we seem to have reached something of a stalemate in our attempts to resolve this matter.
"We have tried to be flexible, we have revised the offer significantly, and yet we have failed to make progress.
"It appears that the best way forward is to take the matter to ACAS for binding arbitration.
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