Something to go to in Wellington

Written By: - Date published: 10:08 am, June 26th, 2017 - 13 comments
Categories: workers' rights - Tags:

Greater Wellington regional Council has tendered their bus service without protecting drivers’ terms and conditions. That’s going to cost drivers and average of $200 per week. Danny Scotford sent out this email asking people in Wellington to protest at the council’s next meeting.

 

I drive a bus in Wellington, and like hundreds of my workmates I’m facing a pay cut because the Greater Wellington Regional Council decided to change bus providers, but not protect our terms and conditions.

When the Council began the process to change their bus providers they refused to talk to our union about it.

They kept the meetings where they discussed it secret.

They refused even to release the terms of their tender until the CTU made an official information request and they were forced to.

When we asked them to facilitate a meeting with our representatives, the current bus company and the new bus company, the council Chair Chris Laidlaw said “sure thing”. Then he turned around and said they’d have that meeting – without us. Without our elected representatives.

The regional council is running for cover on this. But on Wednesday morning they’re meeting in public and we are going to be there to remind them who helped elect them, and who they answer to. Will you join us?

YES, I’LL STAND WITH DRIVERS AND DEMOCRACY

Drivers and their families shouldn’t pay the price for the council’s cost-cutting. The people of Wellington shouldn’t have the quality of their public transport put at risk. We all deserve a accountability from the people who hold public office. Take a stand – join us on Wednesday.

 

Thank you,

Danny Scotford
Bus driver and union member

13 comments on “Something to go to in Wellington ”

  • Comments are now closed

  1. The Chairman 1
    26 June 2017 at 10:23 am

    You have my full support.

    • indiana 1.1
      26 June 2017 at 12:36 pm

      ….but if another bus service provider offers a cheaper fare, I’ll most likely go with them.

  2. Barfly 2
    26 June 2017 at 11:05 am

    I wish you success

  3. greywarshark 3
    26 June 2017 at 11:27 am

    Greater has a number of meanings. One is large, and when a business is large it seems to take steps to make some parts smaller, and then it calls that efficiency.

    Greater – brighter – future: they just don’t seem to go together in NZ, not for the ordinary person.

    The persons at the top get huge salaries because of the size of the entity they run, and like cream to the creme de creme, the money rises to them and the souls working in the entity start to notice their living being hoovered from them and rising upwards.

    Shame on you ‘Greater’ Wellington Regional Council. You illiterate lot. The word is ‘greater’ not ‘grater’. You don’t tough up your workers and scrape little bits of their wages off them to go into the doughy mix of your profit and loss ledger.

    A living wage is what they need, far less than what you receive you bloated, self-centred, armchair plunderers.

  4. AsleepWhileWalking 4
    26 June 2017 at 11:28 am

    All the best

  5. Kay 5
    26 June 2017 at 12:10 pm

    RSVPd 🙂

  6. Siobhan 6
    26 June 2017 at 12:11 pm

    Why do Labour not make a stand on these issues?
    Maybe then workers could take them seriously as being a Party worth voting for.
    Then again I guess they are making a stand through the actions of Chris Laidlaw.

    • MeMyselfI 6.1
      26 June 2017 at 1:12 pm

      The GWRC is controlled by Labour and Green members and ex MPs. Bit hard to make a stand when their people have sanctioned this!

      [r0b: Don’t enter an id-theft email address]

  7. Bill 7
    26 June 2017 at 12:45 pm

    If I was in Wellington, I’d be right there with you Danny.

    Hell, if New Zealand had any semblance of a decent public transport network, I’d possibly have been able to travel down.

    Looking beyond your fight, where’s the politician or the political party that’s willing to stand up and call time on all this bullshit austerity and cost cutting that leads to the likes of yourself getting shafted?

  8. patricia bremner 8
    26 June 2017 at 12:50 pm

    Andrew Little has a facebook page on this on Labour Party site.
    The regional council needs to look at the community values.
    By excluding unions from the meetings they have shown scant regard for democracy.
    Here’s hoping a large rally gives them pause!!

  9. greywarshark 9
    26 June 2017 at 2:03 pm

    Here’s about 30 minutes of Yanis Varoufakis saying why little Greece’s troubles matter to others. He says they are the canary down the mine and are there because the liberal establishment has lost the plot.

    Part of that is not caring about the role of the left to talk truth and stand firm to that of business. They have been captured by their Midas obssession, that is told in ancient Greek stories.

    Labour and the unions should be making a fuss against this destabilising system of constantly looking for new terms of trade and lower wages. That is unless it is a culture in the organisation that affects everyone, Austerity Unlimited!

    They could then decide – Down with frozen wages each year by 5% for over $100,000, 3% for lower to $50,000 1% for below $50,000 but up the bonuses for meeting reasonable targets by the low-paid work force. That would be hard to disagree with, if its money they want to save.