The standoff in the Auckland bus dispute has been broken with members of the National Distribution Union (NDU) approaching NZ Bus to work out their own deal.
Auckland bus drivers and cleaners rejected a pay offer of an 11.5 percent pay rise spread over three years on Wednesday.
It was contained in an agreement reached last Friday between New Zealand Bus and the four unions making up the Auckland Combined Unions.
The union's bargaining unit had recommended the new combined employment agreement (CEA), which would have covered about 900 staff, be ratified.
However, combined unions spokesman Karl Andersen said it was voted down "by quite a large majority" of the 700-800 at the meeting.
Today NDU voted to withdraw from the combined unions and to approach NZ Bus to sign up to the agreement based on the original offer.
"The final offer of NZ Bus does not resolve the inherent low pay in the industry," Mr Andersen said.
"It does not resolve the undervaluing that NZ Bus workers feel. However, last Friday, the combined union negotiators believed that they had obtained the best possible offer from the company and agreed to recommend it back to union members."
Mr Andersen said the largest union in the group, Tramways, "broke ranks" and urged rejection rather than ratification of the proposed agreement.
"This resulted in a chaotic meeting on Wednesday at which the ratification of the agreement was rejected."
NDU understood similar discussions were being held by some of the other unions involved.
"We are happy to work with those unions who want to resolve the pay issue based on the agreements reached between the unions and the company last week," Mr Andersen said.
