Bus users are being warned about major disruptions to Greater Christchurch services on Friday.

Environment Canterbury, the agency that oversees the bus services, said most bus services will not be operating from 11am-1pm while drivers from the two bus operators attend the meeting related to related to fair pay agreements.

Services are likely to be impacted from 9am as buses start to come off route, and all services should be operating as normal by 3pm a spokesperson said. School services will not be affected. 

Customers are being warned that some trips may end at the city bus interchange from around 9am as drivers prepare to attend their meeting. 

The stop-work meeting is part of the bargaining process for a proposed Fair Pay Agreement (FPA) for workers in the bus industry.

The Ministry of Business, Innovation and Employment approved an application to initiate this on 27 March 2023, and it is the first FPA application approved for bargaining since the law came into effect on 1 December 2022. 

The Fair Pay Agreements system brings together unions and employer associations within a sector to bargain for minimum employment terms for all covered employees in an industry or occupation.