The staff members of NZ Bus have voted down a new pay offer agreed to by the company after it was negotiated with the union representatives.

Unions informed the company that the new deal received the approval of only 50 per cent, which is below the 60 per cent required to accept and ratify the deal. The company has said that it has already agreed with unions on a new pay offer two times and both the times the offer was not approved by the union members.

The company says it is aiming to continue trying to conclude the bargaining and added that it had offered a fair deal to the unions. It is believed that the bus services in Auckland will be further affected due to the fallout of the latest voting down of the deal by the staff members.

"The union executive have unanimously recommended the deal and over 50 per cent of the drivers want to accept. At some point we need to move forward as a business," said NZ Bus Chief Operating Officer Shane McMahon. He also pointed out that the deal would have resulted in members being paid $20 hour next November making them amongst the highest paid in Auckland.

First Union spokesman Karl Andersen said that the union will send another notice of industrial action by the staff members.