Unions Try to Provoke NZ Bus with Light Industrial Action

Press Release – Monday 20thAugust 2012

Unions Try to Provoke NZ Bus with Light Industrial Action

NZ Bus today [20/8] received notice that Tramways and First Union will commence light industrial action from 4am on Thursday 23rd August in the form of ‘work to rule’.

Negotiations between NZ Bus, Tramways and First Unions for a new Collective Agreement have been held over 14 days. The offer on the table was to increase wages by 6.6% over 27 months in three movements, with the first increase of 2% backdated to July of this year, followed by two further increases. NZ Bus drivers in Auckland also received a 3.3% increase in February of this year.

“With inflation running at 1% in the year to June, we thought that a 5.3% increase this calendar year was a good offer”, says Shane McMahon of NZ Bus. The offer would have seen NZ Bus drivers continue to be amongst the highest paid in Auckland, earning $20 per hour by April 2014.

Work to rule means that drivers strictly follow the rules of the road and principles of their employment agreement. "While we are very supportive of our people following the rules, it’s disappointing that the union leadership are behaving in this manner given very constructive negotiations and a very strong offer on the table”, says Shane McMahon.

NZ Bus operates Metrolink, City Link, Inner Link, Outer Link, North Star, Waka Pacific and Go West brands in Auckland. NZ Bus would like to apologise to customers in advance should any inconvenience be caused by this light industrial action commencing on Thursday 23rd August.

ENDS

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