CTU Unions Pledge Support for Auckland Bus Drivers

Stagecoach must get real and settle with the Auckland bus drivers, Council of Trade Unions president Ross Wilson said today.The CTU National Affiliates Council, representing more than 300,000 union members, this morning voted to support the bus drivers and committed to assisting in any way necessary to resolve the dispute

"The seriousness of the drivers' commitment to their claims is reflected in the huge earnings loss they have taken as a result of the six-day strike," Ross Wilson said.

"Stagecoach is tilting at windmills with its futile attempt to force a settlement on the drivers through the Employment Relations Authority."

The drivers had exercised their legal right to strike after an overwhelming vote in a democratic decision-making process, and their $16 per hour claim clearly had strong public support, he said.

"It is time for Stagecoach to take stock and get back into negotiations with an offer which will settle the dispute and bring the strike to an end."