Mike Lee ‘Unsung Hero’ In Solving Bus Dispute

Posted by Jon C in busesNov 27th, 2009 | 6 responses

ARC Chair, Mike Lee, is being called the unsung hero in the Auckland bus pay dispute settlement.

The Council of Trade Unions secretary, Peter Conway, today thanked him for his assistance in resolving this dispute.

“Mike Lee and also the Board of ARTA played a crucial role in achieving today’s outcome and this should be acknowledged.” He said that this was always a decision that it was up to the workers affected to decide and it had brought to an end a “long-running and difficult dispute.”

The members of the Auckland Combined Unions, representing the bus drivers and cleaners, this week voted to accept the offer for 11.5 per cent over three years (4.2 per cent, 4.0 per cent and 3.3 per cent respectively).

National Distribution Union assistant general secretary Karl Andersen says that when the votes from the different unions were combined over 80% voted to accept the deal. “The drivers are happy to have finally got a deal they can live with and get some stability back in their lives,” he says.

ARTA’s Chief Executive, Fergus Gammie said the dispute had been a “long and difficult road in respect of our customers who deserve stability of service.”

The last financial year has seen the biggest increase in public transport patronage in Auckland for the past twenty-five years so it had been frustrating for ARTA to have such a strong achievement for Auckland disrupted by this dispute.

“The agreement gives stability of service past the Rugby World Cup which will help give our customers the certainty of service they require and deserve, and a sense of relief.”

6 Responses to “Mike Lee ‘Unsung Hero’ In Solving Bus Dispute”

Nathaniel Flick says:

November 27, 2009 at 12:38 pm

“The last financial year has seen the biggest increase in public transport patronage in Auckland for the past twenty-five years so it had been frustrating for ARTA to have such a strong achievement for Auckland disrupted by this dispute.”

And the Grafton Bridge fiasco is further undermining ARTA’s efforts. It means I have to buy a car.

It’s still not clear to me why Maxx/ARTA think Grafton Bridge is a good idea? The Hospital? It already has a parking garage. Don’t think patients and their visitors are going to be using the bus to get to ADHB, surely.

Grumble.
Jeremy Harris says:

November 27, 2009 at 2:39 pm

Hmmm, sorry..? You have to buy a car because you cannot drive it over Grafton Bridge..?
Commuter says:

November 27, 2009 at 3:14 pm

I’ve just come back from Auckland Hospital; to get there I caught a bus from the city, it was really very easy. And then I caught a train from Boston Road; it was also remarkably straightforward. Not only that, it was healthier, didn’t take much time at all and a lot cheaper than buying a car, in every possible respect. What is up with people in this city when they think that the only way to get from a to b is by using a private car?
Cam says:

November 28, 2009 at 5:57 pm

Well i guess when that’s all you’ve ever known (as is the case for many Aucklanders) that’s how you think. Car use is so ingrained in Aucklanders because that’s been pretty much the only viable way to get around for so long due to a lack of investment in PT. Sadly having virtually no public transport and having to drive everywhere is what many Aucklanders just see as normal.

Hopefully this is slowly starting to change as public transport becaomes a regular part of more Aucklanders daily life. I know from my point of view although things are still not great they are light years better than they were 10 years ago.
James says:

November 28, 2009 at 10:33 pm

Back to the subject of the OP despite a bizarre tangent, Cheers Mike. Its good to have the threat of industrial action out of the way and the buses up and running.
Jeremy Harris says:

November 29, 2009 at 2:13 pm

Hopefully Mike Lee finds a place on the new Supercouncil… He is IMO the best local politican we have…