Six-day Stagecoach strike looks definite

Little hope remains of heading off a six-day strike from early tomorrow by drivers of Auckland's main bus fleet, after union moderates voted yesterday to join in.

The Stagecoach bus company is warning passengers of the cancellation of all its services - including school runs and the central-city Link loop - from 4.30am tomorrow until next Wednesday morning. This will mean the loss of almost 700,000 passenger trips over the six days.

"We regret to advise that the combined unions representing most Stagecoach drivers have ignored the advice of the Employment Relations Authority to accept the latest pay offer," the company announced on the Rideline transport information website. Its operations director, Warren Fowler, added last night: "We are at the point where we feel there is little more we can do - it is incredibly frustrating."

Stagecoach is understood to have been hoping for a split in the ranks of the 1000 drivers embroiled in the row, at a meeting of the most moderate of the four unions, the minority Akarana Drivers Association.

This would have enabled it to run a skeleton bus service, using about 240 drivers either on individual agreements or with Akarana. But association members decided by 62 votes to 44 to press on with the strike.

Association president John Kelliher said the biggest problem was that the company was offering a lump sum of just $600 instead of six months' backpay, on top of an initial pay rise to $15 - from $13.94c.

The unions want $16, and improvements in conditions, but the company says it can only afford to reach that level in three stages between now and 2007.

Mr Fowler said some of those opposing the strike were approaching the company to sign individual employment agreements.

He denied a claim by combined unions advocate Gary Froggatt that the company had agreed to reconsider its position before the end of today to see if there could be any way around the deadlock.