Bus drivers in pay row to work-to-rule

File photo / Supplied

Hundreds of Auckland buses could be late as bus drivers work-to-rule on Thursday, taking their time to check for lost property and not driving buses with defects.

Combined union spokesman Karl Andersen said drivers will be following the company's handbook to the letter.

The bus driver unions and bus company NZ Bus have been in talks for months now.

The unions have issued a notice of industrial action today, indicating that their drivers will work-to-rule on Thursday.

Last month drivers threatened to work-to-rule before the bus company counter-threatened with a lock-out notice.

That would have caused chaos to 80,000 Aucklanders who ride NZ Bus services everyday, including Metrolink, North Star, Go West, Waka Pacific, LINK and City Circuit routes.

The disruptions were averted when the company revised its pay offer.

Mr Andersen said he was unsure if the work-to-rule decision would result in a lock out notice from the company.

"I'm not sure whether they have their finger on the trigger this time," Mr Andersen said.

NZ Bus company general manager of operations Zane Fulljames said the unions have been talking to the media but for the last week they have not been communicating with his company.

"This is impacting our customers' confidence in the public transport services we provide. Confidence and reliability are critical factors in winning people over to public transport and retaining them as customers," Mr Fulljames said.

He said the bus company has gone to the Employment Relations Authority for facilitated negotiations and will now ask for the hearing to take place with urgency.

"We are bemused by the Unions desire to initiate industrial action when the option of resolving the issue responsibly in facilitation exists," Mr Fulljames said.

He said NZ Bus have made an improved offer of 4.2 per cent, 3.0 per cent and 3.3 per cent over the next three years.

However, Mr Andersen said looking at a pay rise in percentages is academic because the base pay-rate is so low.

Mr Andersen said drivers start on $14.05 an hour.

"You could put 20 per cent on that and it still would not be enough. If it was a chief executive's salary, it would be fine but it is not," he said.

It is not known if NZ Bus intends to issue a lock-out notice. Mr Fulljames said the company is taking its time to consider the union's announcement to work-to-rule.

"We advise our customers to start thinking about alternate ways to get to work from Thursday," Mr Fulljames said.