JOIN US & WE CAN MAKE EVERY

MAILING LIST

Bus commuters in the Waikato ride for free as drivers call for the Living Wage

Christmas comes early for bus commuters in the Waikato this year as around 120 bus drivers refuse to accept payment from passengers. Passengers will be receiving free rides on services provided by Go Bus in Hamilton, Te Awamutu, Otorohanga and Katikati from Monday (19th November) as drivers protest their low wages.

Bus Drivers are taking this partial strike action in order to drive home the message to their employer and to the district council who engage Go Bus, that bus drivers can’t continue on such incredibly low wages.

By refusing to accept payment passengers are actually better off rather than having to make other arrangements. The drivers love their jobs and they love serving the public, but the pay has become so low they are struggling to survive. This action sends a message to both the company and the council that enough is enough.

Take action

Let Waikato Regional Council know that you support fair wages for drivers.

 

TAKE ACTION

Please follow the link below and show your support for bus drivers to the Waikato Regional Council!

SHOW YOUR SUPPORT

ABOUT

The NZ government is requiring that councils right across New Zealand implement a new unethical competitive contracting model which rewards the worst, lowest paying bus companies. In Auckland, for example, a group of faceless, unelected business people, called Auckland Transport, have forced hundreds of drivers to take pay cuts. They are doing this by rewarding contracts to exploitative, profit making companies willing to pay less for the exact same service.

Companies winning contracts based on low wages are promoting drivers work long hours to make up their income. This puts the public at risk as fatigue is a huge factor in contributing to road accidents and deaths. As the biggest users of public transport this especially effects children, students and the elderly. Less wages being paid to drivers also means less money going into back into local communities. Everyone is worse off – except for the profit making bus companies, the councils and Auckland Transport

Bus drivers are coming together to fight for a better deal. We need your support in demanding that councils around the country contract bus operators based on safe work practises, environmentally friendly vehicles, and efficient business operations, not low wages.

Join us to make every bus fair by demanding a requirement any company competing for council run bus routes submit tenders protecting bus drivers’ conditions of employment.

VIDEO

CONTACT

CAMPAIGN ENQUIRIES

Email: louisa.jones@firstunion.org.nz

Phone: (Louisa) 027 548 7004

BUS DRIVERS FIRST

Email: Rudd.hughes@firstunion.org.nz

Phone: (Rudd) 021 277 4841

CONTACT FIRST UNION

Email: support.centre@firstunion.org.nz

Phone: 0800 TO FIRST (0800 863 477)

Office: 120 Church Street, Onehunga, Auckland

Post: Private Bag 92904, Onehunga Auckland

SOCIAL MEDIA

 

Something went wrong with the twitter. Please check your credentials and twitter username in the twitter settings.