Wellington experienced commuter chaos this morning, and tomorrow will be much worse.
Bus drivers went on strike for an hour, catching many passengers unaware.
Tomorrow the bus company GO Wellington will stop the drivers from working, by locking them out.
Wellington city is the public transport capital of New Zealand. About 50 thousand people catch the bus every weekday. So when bus drivers went on strike at peak time this morning it caused commuter chaos.
“I'm going to be late for work, so I just texted my boss telling her that I’m going to be late,” says one affected commuter.
The strike follows failed pay talks, which have been going on for three months.
NZ Bus, which runs the GO Wellington bus service, believed the dispute was going to be settled on Monday when it offered a seven percent increase this year and a 3.25 percent increase the following.
“The indication to us was that it would be accepted, so we're a little surprised and we're extremely disappointed that the drivers took the decision to immediately escalate to industrial action,” says Bruce Emson, NZ Bus CEO.
Workers say the increase offered by GO Wellington does not make up for the company introducing a flat rate last year, which restricted penal rates. They claim that led to a 19 percent pay decrease.
“All we really want is to have some kind of recompense, we're still doing the same job and working the same log hours- inhospitable hours, and they just don't seem interested in coming to the party,” says Joanne Perkins, one affected bus driver.
The drivers have issued strike notices for peak time in the mornings and afternoons from tomorrow. But GO Wellington reacted by issuing notice of a lock out-meaning no buses will run from tomorrow morning and drivers belonging to the union won't get paid.
“We're going to continue our industrial action and if they lock us out we're prepared to accept being locked out but we'll be picketing the door of the depots to make sure nothing gets in and out,” says Graeme Clarke, of the Manufacturing and Construction Union.
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