Auckland buses to provide free fares during strike action

Friday, 29 November 2019

More passengers will be able to ride without paying a fare when more than 800 NZ Bus drivers will join a strike.

Auckland Transport says operators will be liable for the unpaid fares.

The bus drivers, who are members of First Union and the NZ Tramways Union, will join the current strike by Go Bus drivers from Monday, resulting in about half of all Auckland bus trips being free to the public.

However, Go Bus human resources director Kura Poulava has hit back at the union, saying it is compromising driver safety by encouraging its members to reject bus fares.

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'We know from experience these drivers are at risk of intimidation and even assault from members of the public who believe their rides will be free. Promoting such a situation as this is completely irresponsible and needs to stop before someone is hurt,' she said.

First Union spokesman Jared Abbott said NZ Bus drivers met in Auckland on Thursday and decided not to accept the company's settlement offer, but to join colleagues from Go Bus in strike action.

Go Bus drivers were striking until Christmas Eve by refusing to collect fares on buses leaving from the Māngere and East Tamaki depots.

Abbott said there were 'systematic issues' resulting from a flawed public transport operating model (PTOM) for bus drivers.

He said a resolution required Auckland Transport, the contractee of both companies, to be involved in finding a solution.

'All of the concerns we raised about the effect PTOM would have if it went ahead have already come true in Auckland,' Abbott said.

'It's not good enough to just shrug our shoulders and say it's here now and that's that – drivers are struggling, the industry is facing a shortage, and we seem to be the only ones proposing solutions.'

Abbott said a free fares strike was a positive way to draw attention to the need to resolve the problems while engaging the public and causing no disruption to passengers.

'Go Bus drivers, who kicked off their free fares strike the day before yesterday, say the south Auckland public has been completely supportive and reiterate that they have received no criticism from anyone but their employer, who has as usual gone above and beyond in attempts to frighten and divide the drivers – they're not having a bar of it.

'For passengers, next week might be a good time to hop on the bus and get your Christmas shopping done.'

Poulava said it was frustrating the union had abandoned efforts of reaching an agreement for bus drivers, given Go Bus had been willing to reach a settlement for 'some time now'.

'Go Bus has an offer on the table, we have a date for mediation set, yet the union continues to call strikes.'

That offer included a two per cent pay increase over one year.

'We note that in the past few months, this union has settled a collective agreement with another operator for less than we are already paying, while at the same time encouraging our employees to go on strike. That doesn't make much sense to us.'

Auckland Transport spokesman Mark Hannan said it worked closely with the bus industry and employee unions under the Memorandum of Understanding.

'The memorandum includes commitment to work together as an industry to review bus drivers terms and conditions, with a view to improving working conditions and renumeration.

'Under the Regional Partnering Agreement, our operators are liable for any non-collection of fares.'