Waikato bus drivers strike for the third time

Waikato bus drivers strike for the third time as Go Bus requests arbitration

Over a hundred drivers in the Waikato region will once again carry out strike and picket action as the relationship with their employer Go Bus hits new lows.

The strike action will take place tomorrow for 24 hours. The picket will take place from 7:30am to 9am tomorrow (29th August) on the corner of Killarney and Greenwood, Hamilton.

Arbitration, the next option outside of the courts for both employers and workers when bargaining fails multiple times, has been requested by Go Bus. We support this move.

Despite Go Bus showing an acceptance towards a Living Wage in its correspondence with local authorities it refuses to include it in Collective Agreements with FIRST Union.

Drivers are severely underpaid, drivers are on $17.35- $19.46 an hour.

FIRST Union Organiser Jax Oldham says she welcomes the arbitration and hopes it will encourage a more amicable solution that considers the needs of bus drivers.

“They aren’t machines, they need decent pay to reflect their hard work. They need decent pay to have a decent life.”

Ms Oldham says she’s confused as to why the company is so rigid on pay issues.

“They’re not asking for a crazy amount of money, I just don’t understand it. The Living Wage is set so people aren’t absolutely struggling, and so they might be able to be slightly more active members in their society, it doesn’t seem like a big ask.”

ENDS

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