More Brisbane bus strikes set for this week

MORE Brisbane bus strikes have been planned for this week as the union feud with council continues to escalate into rolling industrial action.

Bus drivers plan to strike from 10am to 2pm on Wednesday.

BUS drivers will join council employees in more strike action this week as the union feud with council continues to escalate into rolling industrial action.

Bus drivers plan to walk off the job from 10am to 2pm on Wednesday in a show of solidarity with other council employees who plan to strike on the same day.

Rail, Tram and Bus Union secretary Tom Brown, who estimated up to 600 drivers would participate from all seven depots, said the strike action had been confirmed with council today.

Australian Workers’ Union members, whose members include outdoor council workers, will also join Transport Workers’ Union members in the protected industrial action on Wednesday.

A council spokesman said bus services were expected to return to normal after 2.45pm but “no major impacts” were anticipated across the network.

The low-impact industrial action follows a major peak hour strike across all seven depots on Friday last week after tensions with council came to a head.

Despite flat wages growth, the RTBU have been demanding a 3.5 per cent pay rise, which council estimated would cost ratepayers an extra $52 million more than the 2.5 per cent pay rise council had offered.

However, Mr Brown questioned whether that figure was correct.

“We think 3.5 per cent is modest,” Mr Brown said. “It’s not going to boost wages a great deal. We have members who are already struggling to pay bills. That’s what it really comes down to.”

The RTBU wants input into the rostering system to help manage driver fatigue but council has refused to cede any control of it to the union, citing fears it would turn into a similar fiasco that consumed Queensland Rail.

However, Mr Brown said bus driver safety remained the union’s priority.

The union has also asked for greater security on buses after ongoing assaults, which culminated in the death of driver Manmeet Alisher last year.