Go Bus Ready, Willing And Able to Reach Settlement

21 November 2019

Go Bus Ready, Willing And Able to Reach Settlement with First Union

Union calls strike action for Friday morning despite pay increase offer and agreement for mediation

Offer confirms Go Bus’s position as one of the better paying bus companies in Auckland

Action is placing student exam participation at risk

Go Bus has made an offer for settlement of the Auckland Go Bus and First Union Collective Agreement.

The offer includes a 2% pay increase for a one-year term. ‘This offer confirms Go Bus’s position as one of the better paying bus company in Auckland,” said Kura Poulava, HR Director, Go Bus.

Poulava said the Company was very disappointed in the actions of a small number of drivers and union officials who have tried to portray the Company as an unwilling party to the negotiations.

“We have been ready, willing and able to reach a settlement for some time now, but the Union appears to have more interest in grandstanding rather than looking after its Auckland members,” continued Ms Poulava. “The facts speak for themselves; Go Bus has an offer on the table, we have agreed to mediation, yet the Union is still calling a strike.

“It appears the union is targeting students trying to get to exams, with the strike lasting three hours over the peak travel time in the morning. Commuters getting to work will also be directly affected too. This is a mean-spirited approach - the union’s strike action will mean drivers only lose three hours pay, but will jeopardise the needs of innocent students to get to exams.

“Further, it’s hard to understand why the union has placed so much focus on us when we are already one of the better paying bus operators in Auckland. In the past few months the Union has settled a collective agreement with another operator for less than what we are already paying, while at the same time encouraging our employees to go on strike. That doesn’t make much sense to us.”

The Company now awaits the outcome of the union’s vote and if accepted will be able to process the new increases in time for Christmas.

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