Japan bus drivers strike by giving passengers free rides

Bus drivers in the Japanese city of Okayama are on strike, but this is no ordinary industrial dispute.

They’re still working, driving around picking up passengers.

But they’re not doing a key part of the job – accepting fares – as they seek greater job security in the face of stiff competition from a rival company.

The method can be questioned – after all, depriving an employer of revenue when it’s fighting for its life may not be the most effective way of staying afloat.

But Japan News website says the free rides are helping the company preserve its relationship with the passengers in the face of competition.

This is not the first time bus-drivers have used such a tactic. Last year, bus drivers in Brisbane and Sydney held fare-free days as part of labour disputes.