ARC: We Have Had Enough of NZ Bus Strike
ARC Chairman Mike Lee has delivered a simple and blunt message to NZ Bus, on day five of the NZ Bus lock-out of drivers.
“We have had enough. Auckland will not
be held to ransom. If you can’t deliver the services that
the people of Auckland rely on, then we will have to find
someone else who can,” he said.
Today the
industrial dispute again disrupted the travel plans of tens
of thousands of Auckland commuters. The disruption was even
worse with the start of the school term.
Despite
meetings over the weekend and facilitation today, it appears
that the company and the union have made no meaningful
progress on settling the dispute.
“The Auckland
travelling public have run out of any patience or sympathy
for this on-going nonsense,” said Mr Lee.
“NZ
Bus operates public transport services under contract to the
Auckland Regional Transport Authority (ARTA). NZ Bus is
currently in breach of those contracts – it is not
delivering the services. Like any commercial contract, NZ
Bus contracts can be terminated for
non-performance.
‘If this dispute is not settled, I
will be calling on ARTA to start the process of terminating
the existing contracts and finding someone else who will
deliver the services that Auckland expects and pays for.
“Terminating NZ Bus contracts would be a drastic
step. However, it is clear that the company is not
responding to other normal commercial pressure, nor in my
view does it take seriously its service obligations to the
public.
“Perhaps the threat of NZ Bus’s entire
Auckland business being terminated will sharpen the minds of
the negotiators and deliver the break through that is
required.”
ENDS