NSW: Bus drivers to continue with 24-hour strike

AAP General News (Australia)
12-17-2009
NSW: Bus drivers to continue with 24-hour strike

By Adam Bennett

SYDNEY, Dec 17 AAP - Bus drivers are poised to ignore the industrial watchdog's calls
to abort a 24-hour strike on Friday, potentially leaving 600,000 commuters stranded across
Sydney and Newcastle.

The Rail Tram and Bus Union (RTBU) called the snap strike of Sydney and Newcastle bus
drivers on Thursday, citing a breakdown in award negotiations between drivers and the
NSW government three weeks earlier.

Despite the NSW Industrial Relations Commission's (IRC) recommendation that it call
off the strike, the union says it will go ahead unless drivers agree to consider a last
minute pay offer from the government.

Under the deal discussed in the IRC on Thursday, drivers could be in line for a three
per cent pay rise this financial year and next.

But a push to have casual drivers cover part-time bus driver absences could be a sticking
point for the union, which had rejected the government's original 2.5 per cent pay offer.

However, a budget sub-committee has yet to approve the pay increase flagged in the
IRC by the government. The sub-committee will meet at 11am (AEDT) on Friday to discuss
the offer.

RTBU representative Raul Baonza said there was no guarantee it would be approved at
the meeting, but a member vote would be held later on Thursday to decide if the offer
was acceptable.

If not, buses will grind to a halt from 4am (AEDT) on Friday.

Mr Baonza called on Transport Minister David Campbell or Premier Kristina Keneally
to "break the impasse" in negotiations.

"I haven't heard one word from the minister. Somebody has to take responsibility for
breaking the impasse, one way or the other," he said.

Mr Campbell called on the union to abide by the IRC's recommendations.

"State Transit is the agency negotiating this agreement with the RTBU and the government
expects State Transit to abide by the recommendations of the IRC," Mr Campbell said.

"The government also expects the RTBU to abide by the recommendations, so that negotiations
can continue in good faith."

The NSW opposition labelled the snap strike an act of Christmas bastardry, saying it
provided a crucial first test for "novice" premier Ms Keneally just seven days out from
Christmas.

"This is an act of bastardry by the bus union - they're the Christmas Grinches," Opposition
Leader Barry O'Farrell told reporters in Sydney.

"This is a double hit, it's not just to commuters trying to get to work, but it is
also going to affect businesses."

Mr O'Farrell called on Ms Keneally, who held a four-hour caucus meeting on Thursday,
to "stare down" the union.

Sydney's business lobby also reacted angrily to news of the strike, saying it would
be a major disruption at the busiest time of year.

"It should be seen for what it is - a miserable act designed to deliberately inconvenience
businesses, workers and shoppers at Christmas," NSW Business Chamber chief executive Stephen
Cartwright said.

Mr Baonza apologised to commuters for striking seven days before Christmas, but said
the union had "nowhere else to go".

He said drivers had put off industrial action until after the school term so as not
to inconvenience HSC students.

However, asked why drivers couldn't wait until after Christmas to walk off the job,
he said "it's never a good day to go on strike".

State transit bus tickets will be recognised on CityRail train services throughout
the strike, if it proceeds.

Western Sydney bus services on the Liverpool Parramatta Transitway will not be affected.

AAP ab/hn/srp/mn

KEYWORD: BUSES WRAP

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