Bus drivers fear bleak Christmas

Press, 6 December 1985, Page 1

Bus drivers fear bleak Christmas

By GRANT BRADLEY A prolonged bus dispute could mean bread and butter for Christmas dinner for at least one Christchurch driver’s family. “It is so hard to explain to the children — they just don’t understand,” said Barbara, who with her busdriver husband, Graeme, did not want their surname published. . “Father Christmas is the only thing on their minds and he may not be giving them what they want this year,” Barbara said. If the dispute was not settled by next week there could be real hardship and possible defaulting on a mortgage which swallowed up almost half of Graeme’s usual net weekly wage, about $247 to $3OO, depending oh overtime worked. “All we want is the employers to agree to a meeting and get this thing sorted out,” said Barbara. Graeme said they were reluctant to sell furniture and assets they had saved

hard for. “It is going to be a very tough Christmas though,” he said. The drivers’ claim for a $32 a week industry allowance was justified, said Graeme. “I have to work overtime to get a decent wage and working up to a 50-hour to 60-hour week has got to stop,” he said. “We are near breaking point.” A driver who has been with . the Christchurch Transport Board for three E-s is paid $299.64 for a c 40-hour week. Shift and length-of-service payments take this to $320.58. This figure takes into account the 15.5 per cent State sector-linked pay increase recently paid to drivers. The average gross weekly wage in August was $311.29 although this was;before the -J wage round: which' could have added about $3O. Graeme rejected the claim made by the board’s secretary, Mr Tony Francis, that drivers grossed $432 for

a 44-hour week. A pay slip he had showed a gross figure of $356.14 for a 44-hour, 28-minute week worked by a “third-year” driver. The stress of driving buses loaded with passengers, putting up with abuse and the fear of attacks meant the allowance claim was justified, he said. The inconvenience to the public was regretted but the bus drivers' action had to be near Christmas to be effective, he said. Barbara was busy yesterday trying to alleviate the effects of the stoppage on elderly people who faced the cancellation of a Christinas party organised by the Senior Citizens’ Club: tomorrow because of the likelihood of buses being off the road. .P; Arrangements were being -made .for—bus ; drivers to . take the elderly people in their own (the drivers’) cars to the party and to drive them home again. No buses again, page 2