Auckland bus drivers plan Monday strikes
Auckland bus drivers may strike for the next eight Mondays.
More than 500 bus drivers rejected a pay offer from NZ Bus yesterday and voted for industrial action.
Karl Andersen, of First Union, speaking for the combined bus unions, says while action hasn't been finalised it's "highly likely" drivers will strike every Monday for the next eight weeks and work to rule.
"It's got to that point where there was a rejection of their offer today so it becomes put up or shut up.
"Unfortunately, it hits the commuter. But rather than an all-out stoppage we've chosen to try and lessen the impact."
NZ Bus operates Auckland's Link services, North Star, Waka Pacific and Go West.
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Comments and questions14
They should be happy that they have a job.
What do they get paid? $18 an hour and no lunch breaks?
If you think this doesn't affect you, then wait until Monday's traffic as people are displaced into cars.
due to the atrocious public transport that is on offer most people have already been displaced into cars
Lance - this could be interesting. Assuming that more folk are using the T2/T3 lanes as they choose to carpool, reduced disruption from NZ buses stopping and then pulling into traffic, increased train/ferry patronage and folk doing unnecessary travel during peak are dissuaded from doing so... there might actually be smoother traffic flows, less delay... hmmm reminds of the traffic during the RWC...
Last time the traffic actually flowed smoother. Can we use bus lanes?
I agree it did flow smoother... Using bus lanes depends on whether AT are prepared to waive bus lane enforcement on the day of the strikes... bearing in mind it's only NZ Bus and other operators aren't effective, it will be difficult for AT to be able enforce on some routes but not others... putting a blanket notice out that (excluding the North Shore Busway and bus lanes on motorways) all bus lanes are T3 (3 occupants or more) on the affected days would promote goodwill and be an opportunity for an experiment on improving carpooling and transport patronage...
... but that would be too far sighted for Auckland Transport to consider. They'll be out with cameras in force to collect revenue.
Considering it's the NZ Buses that use Snapper, it would be good opportunity for publicity to push the NEW HOP Card (the one that works on the Thales system) to encourage the public to use trains, ferries...
Reality check required. World in a unprecedented depression, unemployment at all time highs, and Kiwi Bus drivers get greedy. And we wonder why NZ is such a mess !
Totally agree with you. No inteneded disrespect to bus drivers, but getting paid at $18.75/hr (or whatever the offer was) is pretty good pay for unskilled labour. I work in professional services and after factoring in the 60+ hour weeks, it doesn't work out to be much more than a bus driver...and that's after years of tertiary education. Stop being greedy.
They just want to be paid a honest wage for honest work. The problem is that far too many companys refuse to give decent pay rises at the bottom yet are much quicker to hand them out at the top.
If the bus drivers go on strike, I predict that there will be less traffic than usual. People adjust. People in cars will pick up people from bus stops. In an emergency situation, people respond well. Of course, if we could show that they could respond well all the time there would be less traffic all the time, even without the expensive overhead of buses. THAT is why they are only going to strike one day per week!
This is fantastic news! The traffic runs so much better when empty or half empty buses are not clogging the roads during rush hour.
Being a senior student, last year at school, The absolute final exams run on the weeks that this strike has been squedualed. There are many students who have no other means of getting to our exams. Maybe they should get to stops before even considering a raise? So many times I have waited for a bus that never turns up leaving me with a 2 hour walk.
The bus companies here are already sh*t. Sometimes they never turn up. Even If I get to a stop early buses don't come on occasion. Unless they came waaaay too early. This country... =.=