Ritchies hits back as bus drivers strike
ACCUSATIONS of lying, threats, and a wheel literally falling off a bus are flying as a stoush between Ritchies and First Union escalates.
Union members employed by the company, which operates the Queenstown’s $2 bus service, Orbus, went on strike yesterday over pay and health and safety concerns.
First Union organiser Ken Young claimed staff were threatened with a twoweek lockout, and having their companyprovided accommodation taken away, if they went ahead with the strike.
But Ritchies transport director Andrew Ritchie has fired back, calling Mr Young an ‘‘idiot man’’ and accusing the union of outright lies.
He said the union’s claims had come ‘‘out of the blue’’.
Bus services in Queenstown were not impacted by the strike.
The Otago Daily Times has obtained a copy of a letter sent by the union to Ritchies on March 6.
It outlines a series of health and safety concerns, including the ‘‘unsafe mechanical condition’’ of the buses, poor brakes, drivers forced to take breaks in ‘‘remote’’ areas with no facilities, and no meetings with employees regarding health and safety.
The union asked to meet the company before March 14.
Mr Young said the union was seeking a $1perhour pay hike.
‘‘We’ve tried everything to reach an agreement, but they’ve made it very, very difficult.’’
He also said the buses were not ‘‘fit for purpose’’.
Mr Ritchie said drivers had not been threatened with losing their accommodation, or a lockout, over yesterday’s strike.
But he questioned whether the company should provide staff with free or subsidised accommodation in the future if the strike continued.
‘‘I’m paying for that out of my pocket. It’s costing us a lot of money to do that.’’
He said Mr Young’s claims the Queenstown fleet was not fit for purpose were ‘‘complete lies’’.
In regards to claims a wheel had fallen off a bus while it was on a route, he said there had been an issue with a ‘‘tyre company that failed to do their job properly’’.
He said the company had a collective agreement with the Amalgamated Workers Union, but not with First Union.
‘‘We’re quite happy to negotiate a collective, but they need to work around the situation and not fire from the hip.
‘‘We’re not going to be forced into a ‘take it or leave it’ situation.’’
Otago Regional Council support services manager Gerard Collings said the strikes were an operational matter for Ritchies and declined to comment further.