Shock, Horror – Infratil managers strike for more pay!

Written By: - Date published: 8:12 am, September 8th, 2009 - 7 comments
Categories: humour, public transport, scoundrels, Unions - Tags:

Yesterday Infratil got their NZ Bus hand-puppets to announce that they will be going on strike. On Wednesday, if the bus-drivers refuse to donate their time freely to increase Infratil returns to investors, the company will remove bus-services from the commuters of Auckland.

If the reasonable attempts of the bus drivers to increase their wages by a few more percent above the minimum wage and inflation are not stopped then the managers of Infratil may fail to met their objectives:-

Infratil’s goal is a 20% per annum after tax return to shareholders over the long term.

Of course the bonuses for the managers are conditional on hitting those targets. So the managers are effectively striking for more pay.

They could instead concentrate on upgrading their performance, for instance with the piss-poor maintenance on their buses as was pointed out on Target last week. It isn’t only the disabled ramps that are poorly maintained. In the last week mechanical difficulties have caused me to get off buses twice. However that would involve hard work and expenditure on the part of the Infratil managers. It is easier to spend more money on PR people who don’t actually rub the managers noses in how poor their work is.

Infratil posted yesterday morning at transport hubs that this was a strike by the unions. That is a blatant lie. But I see from the media that they are repeating the stupidity. Such is the nature of PR driven journalism.

Granny Herald is for once actually telling the story like it is – a lockout. What the unions have said is that bus-drivers should work exactly to the existing contract, ie work-to-rule.

Infratil’s managers must be total fuckwits if they think this is spinnable. Increasing numbers of Aucklanders are using the public transport. I’ll assume that like me, they’re generally impressed with the bus drivers (the usual few dorks aside). I think that they are worth more than a few bucks per hour above the minimum wage.

We sure as hell will not appreciate Infratil locking the workers (and us) out. Especially when the bus-drivers merely wish to work to the exact terms and conditions of the existing contract. That doesn’t sound like Infratil are bargaining in good faith. It is more like someone is trying to push an agenda.

Since we’re paying the bill both in fares and in subsidies, I’d suggest that Infratil’s infantile managers learn what good faith is in a hurry. Public transport is one of the core services of the city. Even that idiot Local Government Minister Rodney Hide thinks that – transport is in his list of core services. It costs too much in roading costs, road congestion, and requirements for parking to live without a good public transport system.

Unlike many of the writers here, I’m generally loath to have anything in public ownership that doesn’t need to be there. But if public transport has to go back into public hands to ensure a good service, then that is what will happen. I’m sure that the costs of it being a public service are probably cheaper than trying to hit a 20% rate of return. Especially as use of public transport is increasing requiring a bigger fleet, and somehow I can’t see Infratil wanting to expend capital to get it.

7 comments on “Shock, Horror – Infratil managers strike for more pay! ”

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  1. gargoyle 1
    8 September 2009 at 9:04 am

    Apparently Infratil also

    ..”believe that sustained quality people performance and positive relationships and involvement in communities where its businesses are based are key determinants of its financial performance.”

    I think this translates to to blah blah buzzword blah wankity wank buzzword wank.

    Another bunch of tossers methinks – with the usual suspects on the board, all power to the bus drivers ………….. oh and I’m to the right of the political spectrum as well and also think that a return of 20% per annum top shareholders is somewhat optimistic for their particular business mix – unless they’re expecting more subsidies from the long suffering rate/tax payer.

    • Draco T Bastard 1.1
      8 September 2009 at 1:29 pm

      I LOL’d 😀

      unless they’re expecting more subsidies from the long suffering rate/tax payer.

      They’re expecting more subsidies.

  2. Armchair Critic 2
    8 September 2009 at 9:59 am

    Atlas is shrugging

  3. roger nome 3
    8 September 2009 at 10:13 am

    Atlas is behaving like a deceitful and authoritarian bully-boy by the look of things. This kind of shit makes me so angry. I can’t believe Labour didn’t restore the ability of unions to punish employers like this – the concept of “Good Faith”, as set forward in the Employment Relations Act only requires employers to “meet” with the employee or employee’s representative, not to bargain reasonably for a fair outcome.

    I’m fairly sure however, that infratil posting the dishonest message, claiming that the workers are striking, is a breach of good faith. The union should hammer them for that.

  4. So Bored 4
    8 September 2009 at 12:10 pm

    Infratil’s goal is a 20% per annum after tax return to shareholders over the long term.

    Where do we draw the line of where public service starts and private enterprise stops? It gets even sillier, we subsidise a service then expect a return. And the return goes to a contractor who pays for the franchise to the local area authority (council).Lots of hands in the pie so far, giving and taking.

    I can see why a public service such as buses needs to run efficiently and make provision for reinvestment, strategic goals etc, I dont see any reason private hands and privvate profit should be in the mix.

  5. randal 5
    8 September 2009 at 2:16 pm

    how do you know what the customer wants
    first you tell them and then you give it to them!