Oil Free Wellington supports the bus strike
As a group we want to extend our public support for the Wellington bus drivers’ strike action on Thursday and our solidarity to workers and the Tramways Union.
We believe in climate justice. Climate change needs to be tackled in a fair and equitable way which makes the world better for the marginalized. This includes supporting workers in their struggle for fair working conditions.
A just transition for those in the fossil fuel industry is needed, and those working in sustainable industries need respect and to be able to shape their working conditions.
The new companies running the Wellington bus services, Tranzit and Uzabus, should be listening to the workers and their union, not trying to undermine working conditions for profit.
Chris Laidlaw and the rest of the Greater Wellington Regional Council need to accept their responsibility for the state of the bus network and the undermining of pay and working conditions for bus drivers. They need to sit down at the table and be part of negotiations with the companies and the union.