Bruising bus dispute drags on

Drivers Fenika Tavui Ofu (left) and Ulla Nanai sing and dance outside NZ Bus. Photo / Richard Robinson

Locked-out bus workers are offering to drive Auckland children to school for free when the new term starts on Monday, but their employer says they must lift their notice of industrial action before doing so.

Unions representing 875 drivers and cleaners made the offer last night, amid mounting concern about how the region's transport system would cope with the return of thousands of children to classes.

"Drivers do not want to see kids missing out on their education because of this lockout," said combined unions spokesman Karl Andersen.

He said the unions' work-to-rule proposal, which triggered a lockout on Thursday, would not have stopped children from catching buses to school "and we are still prepared to turn up on Monday to get them there."

But although NZ Bus services normally carry 9289 Auckland children to school and back, the Infratil subsidiary said last night it was up to the unions to withdraw their threat of industrial action before it was ready to lift the lockout.

"We have provided a notice of lockout - they will not be able to provide school bus services," said spokeswoman Megan McSweeney, whose company earlier supplied a list of 145 Auckland schools likely to be affected unless the dispute is resolved at talks due to continue through this weekend.

Employment Relations Authority chief James Wilson chaired a full day of "facilitation" talks between the unions and company yesterday, but had nothing to report from it last night, and will continue his peacemaking efforts today.

Although most Auckland roads remained relatively uncongested while 700 buses were kept idle at depots, transport officials and business leaders fear major disruption when extra school-related traffic joins the mix.

Auckland Regional Council transport chairwoman Christine Rose warned last night of a potentially serious loss of confidence in public transport.

"With the huge amount of ratepayers' subsidies going into the public transport network, it's in all Aucklanders' interests that the issue is resolved in a way that serves transport users, the Auckland economy which is also really impacted by this, and the bus drivers," Ms Rose said.

The Auckland Regional Transport Authority reported that trains carried 40 per cent more passengers than normal and extra services provided by other bus operators were heavily patronised. Taxis were also busy.

ON THE WEB
For schools unlikely to have buses next week, visit www.nzbus.co.nz