Security for half of Wellington’s bus drivers as deal sets

Wellington and Hutt Valley Bus drivers working for New Zealand Bus in the Wellington Region have ratified their collective agreements with the company maintaining their terms and conditions and increasing their pay.

The drivers’ union says the settlement is a wake-up call to the region’s other major bus company, Tranzit. “It’s taken a while and it got close to industrial action, but we’ve worked through good faith negotiations with NZ Bus and we’ve got an outcome they and our members can live with.” Says Wellington Tramways Union Secretary Kevin O’Sullivan.

“By comparison our negotiations with Tranzit have been marked by the company’s continued refusal to bargain in good faith and their repeated stalling of bargaining. It’s got to the point where we are now trying to get an agreement through facilitation with the Employment Relations Authority which is a last ditch legal process.

“We have repeatedly offered Tranzit the basic deal that NZ Bus has struck with its drivers and they have repeatedly refused it. It’s time for them to take a leaf from their competitor’s book and agree to a fair deal matching the Wellington region standard. There’s no excuse not to.”

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