More than 2700 hospital service workers around the country will strike this Friday over stalled wage negotiations.

The four unions involved in the long-running Auckland bus drivers pay dispute have patched up their differences.

Auckland bus drivers turned their backs on a $500 sweetener from the region's public transport agency when they rejected a new pay offer.

An 11.5pc pay rise over three years, which was rejected by NZ Bus drivers and cleaners today, was recommended by its unions as "the best deal we could get".

The ERA finds Radio NZ was within its right to stop Morning Report presenter Sean Plunket writing a column in Metro magazine.

Disappointed bus drivers and cleaners stormed out of a meeting after being presented with NZ Bus's revised pay offer today.

Drivers and cleaners will decide between 9.30am and 2pm tomorrow whether to accept NZ Bus's pay offer.

Heading to the courts is not always the best solution in industrial disputes, says employment lawyer Ross Crotty.

NHS whistleblowers are routinely gagged in order to cover up dangerous and even dishonest practices that could attract bad publicity and damage a hospital's reputation.

The unions will recommend that bus drivers and cleaners accept a pay-rise offer when they meet next Wednesday.