Ritchies Queenstown strike update

Ritchies Queenstown strike update

STATEMENT:

The below can be attributed to FIRST Union Organiser Ken Young

“I am hugely disappointed with Ritchies decision to personally threaten union drivers with a lock out, job loss and with removing their accommodation. This type of bullying and thuggish behaviour is not uncommon when dealing with Ritchies who are notoriously difficult to deal with but this is a new low, even for them. The company has still not responded to serious health and safety issues that were raised with them on Wednesday. The strike picket was a serious attempt to convey the drivers’ dire situation with the company; bus drivers cannot afford to pay rent in Queenstown, they sometimes cannot buy all the groceries they need and saving for life’s unexpected mishaps is just not possible. The fact is, if you work 40-hours a week you should be able to afford to live without the major stress of not knowing when you can pay the next bill hanging over you. The brave employees are now more determined than ever to continue to fight for their pay and conditions and the safety of passengers.”

Comment from a union member;

“Within minutes of Ritchies buses Queenstown being issued with a strike notice the texts started coming in from FIRST Union bus drivers (before the strike/picket action), bus drivers striking over major concerns with health and safety, conditions of buses and work and pay cuts were told that if they continued with the strike and the union they would be issued with a two-week lockout of both the workplace and their Ritchies supplied accommodation this would effectively put them homeless and without money. One driver wrote in a text, and I quote, “I’ll be with a house load of belongings and nowhere to go, I don’t think I can take this.” End quote. Ritchies expected FIRST Union members to strike and had the text ready to go when the strike notice came through. This is the culture of the bus company, instead of addressing concerns around the table, Ritchies issued threats to home and income. There is no concern that the buses are unsafe, of drivers working conditions, of slashing drivers pay of hundreds of dollars a month without notice and making them work the same hours and routes for reduced pay. All this while the wheels literally fall off the urban buses and drivers struggle to make ends meet. Our urban bus drivers are a pretty tough lot but they’re worried.”

ENDS

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