Bus drivers reject pay deal

Auckland bus passengers face yet more disruption after Stagecoach drivers - fresh from their six day strike - resoundingly rejected a renewed company pay offer today.

The 754 drivers who voted came out 12-1 against the deal, which included a hefty increase in back pay but little extra in hourly rates.


Unions said they would not call any further strike action for at least three weeks, until after Queen's Birthday weekend.


Labour Department mediator Keith Handley, who explained the deal to the meeting at the Ellerslie Conference Centre, said afterwards that the result was "very disappointing".

He said he was not surprised by the mood of the meeting. "This is a group of people who are very close in their work place and have a very strong spirit amongst them," he said.

Mr Handley said, however, that he was encouraged by an indication from union officials that they were willing to return to mediated talks and not resort to more strike action "in the immediate future".

The deal included a doubling to $1200 in back pay, but Stagecoach did not lift a previous offer of an immediate pay rise to $15 an hour - drivers want $16.

The company did however add 7c an hour to a second pay rise late next year, which would have taken the wage to $15.40. A third increase to $16 would have been available from May 2007.