Bus contract could be cancelled

"Auckland will not be held to ransom" is the message from Auckland Regional Council chairman Mike Lee on day five of the NZ Bus lock-out.

"We have had enough.  Auckland will not be held to ransom.  If you can't deliver the services that the people of Auckland rely on, then we will have to find someone else who can," he says.

NZ Bus operates public transport services under contract to the Auckland Regional Transport Authority (ARTA) and Mr Lee says NZ Bus is currently in breach of those contracts.

"It is not delivering the services.  Like any commercial contract, NZ Bus contracts can be terminated for non-performance." he says.

Mr Lee says if the dispute is not settled he will be calling on ARTA to start the process of terminating the existing contracts. 

"Terminating NZ Bus contracts would be a drastic step.  However, it is clear that the company is not responding to other normal commercial pressure, nor in my view does it take seriously its service obligations to the public. 

"Perhaps the threat of NZ Bus's entire Auckland business being terminated will sharpen the minds of the negotiators and deliver the break through that is required."

NZ Bus general manager operations Zane Fulljames says Mr Lee's comments are not helpful.

"In fact, unwittingly his comments may have exacerbated the issue. However we will not be entering into a slanging match with him via the media.

"Our focus at this time is on working constructively in the facilitation process to resolve the issue and get buses back on the road."

Bus services remain suspended until such time as the Unions lift their notice of strike action.

A number of school bus services are operated by Metrolink, North Star, GO WEST, and Waka Pacific. Parents wanting to know if their children's school bus service is affected, please go to www.nzbus.co.nz. NZ Bus is also communicating directly with schools impacted via a daily electronic direct mail.

"We apologise sincerely to our customers," says Mr Fulljames. 

"If the unions are genuine about settling the dispute, they can lift the notice of strike action before 10am tomorrow and we will work around the clock with them to have all of our services inclusive of school services resumed on Wednesday."

Today, the continued suspension of all NZ Bus services combined with the start of the new school term continued to cause delays.

All Metrolink, North Star, Go West, Waka Pacific, Link and City Circuit buses have been suspended since 4am on Thursday.

The suspension came in response to a notice of strike action issued last Sunday by the Auckland Combined Unions after five months of unsuccessful pay negotiations.

Mr Fulljames says the decision to respond to the unions' notice of strike action with a lock-out was a considered response.

"The only responsible course of action available to us was to suspend services.  A notice of strike action is, by its very nature, disruptive and we need to be able to provide our customers with certain, safe and reliable services."

On Friday, the Auckland Combined Unions issued a release saying locked out bus drivers were offering to do school bus runs without pay.

Combined bus unions spokesman Karl Andersen says the drivers are committed to causing the least possible disruption.

"Drivers do not want to see kids missing out on their education because of this lockout," he says.

Mr Fulljames says this offer was not raised in facilitation nor was it communicated to the company on Friday or at any other time during the weekend.

"Despite being in facilitation to jointly work on solutions they chose to tell media about an offer they still are yet to approach us on. The unions are well aware that their offer to provide school services while sounding conciliatory, cannot logistically be accommodated."

Mr Fulljames says if the unions are genuine they can lift the notice of strike action before 10am today and they will work to have all services restored by tomorrow.

"If the unions are genuine around settling this dispute ... lift the notice of strike action ... and Auckland can return to normal Tuesday morning."

The Auckland Regional Transport Authority is advising all NZ Bus users to find alternative ways of getting to work and school.

Ritchies (who operate the Northern Express), Birkenhead, Bayes, Howick and Eastern, Murphy Buses, Urban Express, Waiheke Island Buses, Tranzit and AirBus Express services will all be operating as usual. In addition these bus companies will be continuing to provide some skeleton bus replacement services where possible.

Other train, ferry and bus services run by other operators will continue to operate as usual and customers are advised to allow plenty of time for their journey.

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