Hamilton bus drivers walk off the job

  • 14/05/2018
bus driver
The union said the company had weeks of notice. Photo credit: Getty

Hamilton bus passengers will have to think of other ways to get to work this morning as Go Bus staff strike.

Workers are demanding better pay, and will walk off the job for two hours from 7:30am.

The bus company says it is doing everything it can to cover as many routes as possible.

School bus services and Specialised School Transport Assistance services will not be affected.

Go Bus CEO Nigel Piper says the company has "a proud track record of increasing wages beyond the level of inflation" and a "good record of successful negotiation with the various other unions".

The Hamilton strike follows industrial action by Go Bus employees in Te Awamutu and Otorohanga last week. Mr Piper said at the time paying the living wage wasn't possible, as it would cost "in excess of $13.6 million" a year.

He on Sunday would be happy to increase pay to the living wage if the "council elected to stipulate a specific wage rate... provided it was applied to all operators with contracts and the cost to move to a higher rate was fully recoverable".

The union said the company had weeks of notice, but Go Bus says it only found out about the strike on Sunday morning.

Newshub.