MEDIA RELEASE

20 June 2005

Pay Victory for Bus Drivers

Stagecoach bus drivers in Auckland are to be congratulated on holding out for a decent pay rise, Council of Trade Unions president Ross Wilson said today.

The CTU National Affiliates Council had endorsed the bus drivers' claim for fair pay and supported the industrial action they took to back their case. The drivers have won a top pay rate of $16 per hour, effective immediately.

"This is another victory for workers in their drive for decent pay," Ross Wilson said. "Workers now expect a fair share of the country's economic growth, and they are prepared to fight for what they are entitled to."

Unions acknowledged the support of Auckland commuters for the drivers' cause, even though many of them had been affected by last month's strikes.

"The CTU will be holding talks with the unions, the employer and the Auckland Regional Council in a bid to build a better bargaining environment when the drivers' employment agreement comes up for negotiation again in two years," Ross Wilson said.

ENDS

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