Commuters across NSW are having a rough start to the week with delays to their morning commute as bus drivers have begun a 24 hour strike.
Transport Workers Union and Rail, Tram, and Bus Union drivers walked off the job for 24 hours from one minute after midnight on Monday, demanding fair pay and better working conditions.
Early morning Monday commuters are now facing major transport delays and chaos on roads.
NSW politicians, commuters and parents trying to enjoy the first day of school holidays pleaded with bus workers to cancel the strike, but disruptions will be felt across the state.
While Sydney will face the brunt of the disruptions, areas outside of the city which will be affected include the Hunter Region, Lake Macquarie, Blue Mountains, Central Coast and Queanbeyan.
Secretary of the Australian Council of Trade Unions Sally McManus said workers are frustrated because wages arexjmtzyw not keeping up with the cost of living.
“The people you have seen that have taken industrial action are all front line workers whether they be nurses, teachers, transport workers, and that is happening today,” she told the Today Show.
“People are having to really, really cut back now because of inflation and wages not going up and people only take strike action as a last resort and unfortunately that is what is happening now.”
Ms McManus said families are finding it “tough” with the problem escalating over eight years.
“The NSW Government should respond by making sure that their essential workers don’t go backwards,” she said.
Some early-morning commuters woke to a shock on Monday, with some unaware their services were going to be disrupted.
Transport for NSW is urging commuters to plan ahead, keep track of announcements and to use travel alternatives if possible.
The department said the affected lines would run on a reduced timetable.
Parents planning to travel to the Easter Show can breathe a sigh of relief as event buses are still set to run.
The department said drivers will be allowed to use the T2 and T3 transit lanes without risking a fine while the strike is ongoing.
The union decried the government‘s moves to privatise bus services and said they would demand of Transport Minister David Elliott to “take on their share of the responsibility for implementing a set of Industry standards that ensure a safer and fairer bus industry”.
“David Elliott is continuing to avoid his responsibility for the health and safety of bus drivers and their passengers,“ TWU state secretary Richard Olsen said.
“Drivers are driving buses owned by the NSW government, the bus routes and the bus stops are set by the NSW government, yet the government through the minister claims no responsibility for safety and the conditions of the workers who operate the buses.”
The unions demanded breaks and reasonable timetables for drivers, 12-hour maximum shifts and a minimum of 10 hours between workdays, better training and equal pay for drivers doing the same job.
Mr Elliott said earlier in the week the unions’ demands were not a matter for the government.
“Ongoing negotiations over pay and conditions is a matter between bus drivers and the private operators,” he said last Wednesday.
“The NSW government cannot intervene in the negotiating of enterprise agreements between private operators and their workers.”
Mr Elliott also said he was disappointed the strike would happen during school holidays and accused the unions of trying to “exploit the state‘s transport network for Labor’s political gain”.
Sydney routes that will be running reduced services:
- Liverpool, Fairfield, Parramatta, (Transit Systems)
- Hills District (CDC)
- Inner West, Some Sydney CBD, Olympic Park, Strathfield, Rockdale (Transit Systems)
- Cronulla, Engadine, Sutherland, Menai (Transdev)
- Hornsby, Gordon, Berowra (Transdev)
- Lidcombe, Granville, Bankstown, Liverpool (Transdev)
- Outer Metro
Routes in the rest of the state that will be running reduced services:
- Newcastle (CDC Hunter)
- Hunter Valley (CDC Hunter)
- Tuggerah and Wyong (Coastal Liner)
- Blue Mountains (Blue Mountains Transit)
