Bus drivers tipped to be first in line for FPA

Bus drivers are expected to be first in line to try to negotiate a Fair Pay Agreement that could improve their pay and conditions.

Unions are understood to be hopeful that a quick negotiated deal could clear the path for more agreements that would make it harder for any future National government to reverse the Fair Pay Bill, which was passed by Parliament on Wednesday, arguably marking the biggest shake-up in labour laws in 31 years.

Auckland bus driver and First Union delegate Melvin Luicien said many bus drivers were switching to jobs in the trucking industry where they could get paid $28 to $32 an hour with better conditions and no risk of assaults from passengers.

There was a shortage of more than 500 bus drivers in Auckland, where there had been more than 50 assaults on bus drivers in the past year, he said.

Luicien had remained a bus driver for 15 years because he enjoyed the job and ‘‘loved meeting people’’.

‘‘When I’m out on the road I am happy with the passengers.’’

But the prevalence of split shifts made it hard for bus drivers to have a normal family life, he said.

Pay ranged between $26.50 and $28 an hour after a recent increase, but drivers often had to work a three-to-five hour shift in the morning and a similar shift in the evening, with a four-hour gap in the middle for which they were only paid a total of $5 or $6, he said.

Workers from a variety of industries are queueing up for support from the Council of Trade Unions (CTU), which from December will be able to use the Fair Pay law to help workers negotiate improved minimum pay and conditions from their employers.

The CTU is in line to receive $750,000 from the Government over three years to raise awareness and help negotiate Fair Pay Agreements, according to the Ministry of Business, Innovation and Employment.

CTU president Richard Wagstaff has signalled that early childhood teachers, cleaners, security guards and supermarket and forestry workers are likely to be near the front of the union queue.

But it is understood bus drivers are likely to be selected as the first group to receive CTU support for a Fair Pay Agreement.

That is partly because there are high hopes an agreement could be negotiated with bus operators without unions having to resort to the backstop of requesting the Employment Relations Authority step in and set minimum pay and conditions – which is what would need to happen if negotiations with employers broke down.