Bus drivers’ strike action could be off

Next Tuesday’s region-wide bus driver strike could be off but commuters will face disruption before the week is out.

The Tramways Union, which says it represents about 90 per cent of all Wellington bus drivers, threatened to take widespread strike action yesterday if it could not reach a collective agreement with respective bus operators.

Last week, the union said it had reached a provisional settlement with NZ Bus, which runs 28 per cent of Wellington bus services and has about 250 union members.

But it will hold a stop-work meeting on Friday for its members to vote on the offer – meaning many drivers will be off the job between 9am and 2pm.

Union secretary Kevin O’Sullivan said a full meeting of union members was required in order to vote on the proposed contract. However, the widespread strike action planned from Tuesday could be avoided.

The union will hold a collective bargaining meeting with Tranzurban and Uzabus tomorrow to discuss the issue.

It planned to encourage those companies to send as many drivers as possible to Friday’s stop-work meeting, and said if enough turn up, it will suspend the proposed strike action against those companies.

‘‘We want the company to make an effort to get people to that meeting. That will signal to us that they are serious about sitting down and settling an agreement,’’ O’Sullivan said.

But his comments have received a cool response from Tranzurban managing director Paul Snelgrove.

‘‘Rather than trying to manipulate negotiations via the media, Mr O’Sullivan should keep to the constructive bargaining process we’d all agreed on,’’ Snelgrove said.

Tranzurban runs 60 per cent of Wellington’s bus services.