Hundreds of bus drivers met in Wellington today to decide how they’re going to fight back against a Council decision that threatens to slash their pay.
The Greater Wellington Regional Council has awarded public transport contracts to Tranzit & Uzabus, which pay the people who drive its buses significantly less than the current provider NZ Bus. Tranzit & Uzabus were able to put in a lower bid for the contract because of their substandard conditions of work, but now face a driver shortage after drivers unanimously agreed to refuse to sign any new employment agreement which cuts their pay and conditions.
“The Regional Council has accepted a contract that takes millions of dollars from drivers,” says Wendy Parsons, a Wellington bus driver who, like most of her colleagues, stands to lose thousands of dollars a year. “They think it’s going to save money, but it’s at the cost of experienced drivers and a decent public transport system.
“We’re simply not going to work for Tranzit unless we get a fair deal – many of us simply can’t afford to. Wellington’s buses will be at a standstill because the Council wanted to cut costs and there’s already a serious shortage of drivers.
“We want the Council and the new operators to commit to a collective agreement that keeps our jobs and the terms and conditions we have. This isn’t a well paid job to begin with, and we simply won’t let them make it worse.
“This isn’t just about us, it’s about keeping Wellington’s public transport as good as it is now. With more and more people using it, cutting costs and running the service down makes no sense at all.”
Over three hundred Wellington and Hutt Valley bus drivers voted unanimously in favour of creating a cross-union group to negotiate a contract with Tranzit that, at minimum, retains current terms and conditions, and refusing to sign up with Tranzit until that claim is met. A similar meeting is planned to encompass Mana Coach Services next Wednesday 31st May