Local bus drivers storming the streets in protest for the end of unfair wages turned into a political onslaught, with several local candidates having their say.

Tauranga bus drivers and supporters rallied together at Red Square in the Tauranga CBD at 11am to speak to the public about their concerns.

The speakers included bus driver and rally leader Allan Mathews, as well as, Tauranga candidates: NZ First Clayton Mitchell, Labour Angie Warren-Clark and Green Party Emma-Leigh Hodge.

Allan Mathews says it was great to see, so the public and politicians come out to support the cause.

'There are many hundreds if not thousands of workers in Tauranga and the Bay who are paid poverty or barely sustainable wages,” says Allan.

'Being paid a decent wage isn't about being able to afford stuff it's about freedom.”

'Bus drivers are calling for a living wage and an end to the tendering model that sees private providers win the contract for public bus services based on who can cut cost best, meaning – in practice – who can drive down wages and conditions.”

NZ First Clayton Mitchell, first up to speak, focused on bringing the wages back to the simple days where everyone was paid enough for sustainable living.

'We used to work for a wage that was enough to live on, it was a fair days' pay for a fair days' work and that fair days' work represented a sustainable liveable life.”

'Now it's turned around, people at the very top of the system are earning more,” he says, 'In fact Fonterra just got a pay increase, the top dog there, for $606,000 last year.”

Labour Angie Warren-Clark, however, focused on the people that the wages are affecting right now.

'We need to focus on the rights of people, we need to focus on the rights of bus drivers and for all workers, and we need a fair wage.”

'We need a clear mandate from the city that says ‘actually wriggle room is not good enough'. We should not, in anyway, have to bring down your wages in order to have a service for our buses.”

Last candidate to speak, Emma-Leigh Hodge says Green Party also understand that fair wages is a huge issue for bus drivers.

'In government next year the Green Party would raise the minimum wage to $17.75, and we would keep tracking that up to $20.20, which is the living wage.”

'That's the huge thing that hasn't happened in this country in recent years.”

Bus drivers in Auckland saw their wages and conditions drop dramatically after NZ Bus lost the contract for Auckland's main routes to Go Bus, the iwi-owned bus company.”

After the speeches, the bus drivers and supporters marched down Devonport Road to deliver a petition to councillor Paula Thompson calling on the council to support fair pay.

Drivers in Hawkes Bay have also marched for a living wage and called on the Napier City Council to protect drivers' wages and conditions so drivers can focus on issues like customer satisfaction and environmentally friendly vehicles.

'Let's hope the Bay of Plenty Regional Council has the vision, as the Napier council did, to stop and look at the wages they are paying their poorest workers,” says Allan.

'That's what this little march is all about.”