Media release: FIRST Union & Auckland Tramways Union

Wednesday 14 November 2012

Bus drivers vote to ratify collective agreement

After six months of bargaining, NZ Bus drivers have voted to ratify a new collective agreement and are welcoming the company’s commitment to a culture change in the organisation.

Just over two thirds of union members voted in favour of the new agreement.

Spokesperson for the bus unions, Karl Andersen, said that drivers welcomed NZ Bus comments that the culture of the company would change, and said that the role of unions would be essential to making change happen.

“There are still clearly some outstanding issues that NZ Bus will need to work on during the course of this agreement,” he said. “Drivers still have some real concerns about work hours and duty times and we look forward to making progress on these.”

Karl Andersen said that drivers’ access to proper rest breaks should be a priority for NZ Bus in the interest of both staff and customers.

“The successful resolution of bargaining gives me confidence that unions can work with NZ Bus to address these issues,” said Karl Andersen.

Ends.

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Gordon Campbell: On Failures Of Care For Those With Mental Disabilities

Hard to imagine a more disturbing insight into the treatment of the vulnerable than the Health Ministry report on Te Roopu Taurima o Manukau. The Ministry has found that the country’s only kaupapa Maori intellectual disability residential care provider has been “seriously dysfunctional.”

The ministry says the business has failed to recruit and retain quality staff – and says the kaimahi (caregivers) that have been employed are seriously unsuitable for the job, lacking basic knowledge. But Te Roopu Taurima o Manukau doesn’t get all the blame. The report says there’s a significant gap under disability laws to ensure there’s oversight by qualified clinical professionals. More>>