More than 100 drivers of Howick and Eastern Buses will refuse to take cash fares from passengers for 24 hours from 4am on March 3 to 4am on March 4, but passengers can still travel to their destination says the union organiser.
The strike action which ends on March 11 will also include drivers refusing to drive buses with known safety defects, buses with a defective hop card reader or ticketing machine, and buses without a working radio telephone or warrant of fitness and road user certificate.
The FIRST Union members from Howick and Eastern Buses are taking action as the company makes repeated attempts to remove overtime and weekend rates for drivers, according to bus organiser Rudd Hughes.
“Passengers with cash will see their fare money refused, but they can still travel to their destination,” says Rudd
“And then from 4 am on March 4 to 4 am on March 11 drivers will take further actions such as refusing sign on to shift before their rostered shift begins,” he says.
“To prepare for their shifts drivers must arrive early, but, this time, isn’t considered work time even though they are carrying out duties necessary for their work,” says Hughes.
“At the heart of this issue is the company’s repeated attempts to remove overtime and weekend rates,” he says.
Drivers often have to work over and above their rostered shifts, and they deserve to be paid for the time that they lose with their families, friends and in the community,” says Hughes.
He concluded with the comment that Howick and Eastern Buses don’t value the drivers’ personal time.
