Auckland bus drivers get $8 million annual pay raise to help address recruitment and retention issues.
The council is financing an average 8% pay increase for drivers working for public transport companies, at a time when the Auckland network is 400 drivers too shortcontributing to near-record cancellations.
The additional funding will flow to bus companies, whose drivers have had varying wages, some as low as the “living wage” of $22.75 an hour.
Auckland Transport (AT) said the funding it has requested from the council will increase average rates to $25.62 per hour, from an industry average in the city of $23.72.
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“Ensuring that our public transportation system is funded to be fully staffed and provide reliable and regular services is critical to encouraging more people to use it,” said Mayor Phil Goff.
The new wage rates for union members will range from $27.15 per hour at the Waiheke Bus Company to $24.85 at Ritchies and Pavlovich.
Unions representing many of the 2,400 drivers have welcomed the increase, albeit with caution.
“It will certainly help, but the still long 14-hour shifts, and the attacks on drivers definitely need attention too,” said Gary Froggatt, president of the Auckland Tramways Union.
Froggatt said, to AT’s credit, that the agency was in talks with unions in those areas.
Ricky Wilson / Stuff
The number of bus service cancellations continues to rise as Covid-19 and winter illnesses exacerbate the driver shortage. (File photo)
“This is an important first step in retaining experienced bus drivers and attracting new people to an industry critical to New Zealand’s recovery from the pandemic and our thriving cities,” said Louisa Jones, assistant general secretary of First Union.
The announcement came as daily bus service cancellations continued under the recent peak of 2000 cancellations per day.
In the last week for which figures are available, bus services were canceled on July 18, 1743, the highest for that week.
AT said about a third of the cancellations were due to: COVID-19 either directly affect the driver or within the families of the drivers and a further third had to do with: other winter illnesses.
Auckland Transport/Delivered
A screenshot of canceled services, in pink, on the Auckland Transport app.
The city’s largest ferry operator, Fullers360, also said it was struggling with: a shortage of both ferry captains and sailors.
It said higher salaries off the coast lured experienced skippers away.
AT hoped a new timetable in October and March-June 2023 would give more bus drivers uninterrupted services as more off-peak services were added between traditional peak hours.
It also hoped opening the borders after Covid-19 restrictions new drivers in public transport.
“Some start in the bus industry and some stay – we don’t have that pipeline of workers and competition [with other industries] is difficult,” said Darek Koper, Metro Services Group Manager.
Public transport bus drivers in Auckland receive an average of 8% pay increase. (File photo)
Winter sickness and the unreliability of services are set against a patronage boost hoped for by the government’s half-price initiative, now extended to february.
Auckland patronage has increased by 42% since the discount began in early April.
However, AT said it couldn’t determine how much was due to lower rates and how much was an existing trend of increasing numbers, since more people have stopped working from home or less.