There has been a call for central government to find a solution in Auckland’s bus driver working condition and pay dispute.
Strike action that started with one bus company a month ago has now spread to a second company. Both NZ Bus and Go Bus have seen union members take action, including a strike on some services in Auckland this morning.
First Union’s Jared Abbott told TVNZ 1's Breakfast the answer to solving the dispute lies with central government.
"We need a solution from central government and council to look at what the problem is, find what a fair rate is to be able to have enough bus drivers. There’s driver shortages all over the country," said Mr Abbott.
"We know what the solution is but we’re going through a very slow bureaucratic process of constantly reviewing what the problem is over and over again."
He said the problem is that drivers wages and conditions just aren’t good enough.
"Some of these drivers, for them to just earn what would be the equivalent of minimum wage from the start of their day to the end of the day they would need about a 20 per cent pay increase," said Mr Abbott.
One of the companies, Go Bus, made an offer for settlement of the Auckland Go Bus and First Union Collective Agreement. Kura Poulava HR director of Go Bus said the offer includes a 2 per cent pay increase.
“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,” said Ms Poulava.
“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," she continued.
But Mr Abbott says the offer of 2 per cent just isn't good enough.
"I mean the Go Bus rates are in the lowest half of the paying companies in Auckland. Rates in general are low. The turnover in these bus companies.
"Some bus companies are seeing a turnover of 100 bus drivers a year it's just insane."
He said there is still five years left on some of the Auckland bus contracts which means they need a short term solution.
Go Bus has confirmed with the union that if the pay deal they offered through settlement is accepted, it would be able to process the new increases payments in time for Christmas.
Meanwhile, NZ Bus has said the demands they have been given from drivers are too much, and would equal a raise of nearly 45 per cent.
But Mr Abbott said this is not the case, and that it would only put drivers at the equivalent of about 20 per cent above minimum wage.
1 NEWS has approached NZ Bus for comment.
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