Union members employed by the company, which operates the Queenstown's $2 bus service, Orbus, went on strike yesterday over pay and health and safety concerns.
First Union organiser Ken Young claimed staff were threatened with a two-week lock-out, and having their company-provided accommodation taken away, if they went ahead with the strike.
But Ritchies transport director Andrew Ritchie has fired back, calling Mr Young an "idiot man" and accusing the union of outright lies.
He said the union's claims had come "out of the blue".
Bus services in Queenstown were not impacted by the strike.
The Otago Daily Times has obtained a copy of a letter sent by the union to Ritchies on March 6.
It outlines a series of health and safety concerns, including the "unsafe mechanical condition" of the buses, poor brakes, drivers forced to take breaks in "remote" areas with no facilities, and no meetings with employees regarding health and safety.
The union asked to meet the company before March 14.
Mr Young said the union was seeking a $1-per-hour pay hike.
"We've tried everything to reach an agreement, but they've made it very, very difficult."
He also said the buses were not "fit for purpose".
Mr Ritchie said drivers had not been threatened with losing their accommodation, or a lock-out, over yesterday's strike.
But he questioned whether the company should provide staff with free or subsidised accommodation in the future if the strike continued.
"I'm paying for that out of my pocket. It's costing us a lot of money to do that."
He said Mr Young's claims the Queenstown fleet was not fit for purpose were "complete lies".
In regards to claims a wheel had fallen off a bus while it was on a route, he said there had been an issue with a "tyre company that failed to do their job properly".
He said the company had a collective agreement with the Amalgamated Workers Union, but not with First Union.
"We're quite happy to negotiate a collective, but they need to work around the situation and not fire from the hip.
"We're not going to be forced into a `take it or leave it' situation."
Otago Regional Council support services manager Gerard Collings said the strikes were an operational matter for Ritchies and declined to comment further.
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Comments
As a user of public transport for nearly 20 years in Dunedin, I have observed Ritchies’ involvement in a public transport system supposed to be designed by legislation to keep costs to the public down by being competitive become closer and closer to a monopoly. Private monopolies of public services are not in the public interest. it’s hard to imagine that any company could increase its market share over relatively few years like Ritchies has without making every possible economy.
Seems Mr richie is blaming everybody else but himself.
Just pay the people already.
Being from Queenstown these bus drivers are obviously already fabulously wealthy and are just looking for attention. Yeah right. I really don't know how these drivers can afford to drive a bus in Queenstown! Do they know that they can just drive their own bus now? Get a car, a taxi sign for the roof and a cam. Follow the bus route and pick up 9 passengers @ $2 each $18 ride 10 minutes
Once again the truth will be somewhere in the middle. What is the drivers hourly rate? Do they get a full shift or do they work 6 hours spread across 12 hours?
Are the buses inspected mechanically by independent inspectors or just company staff?
Facts are a wonderful thing, but sadly lacking in these stories.