Sydney bus strike: 1200 drivers to stop work for 24 hours
UPDATE: The Sydney bus drivers union must retract its 24-hour strike after an Industrial Relations Commission order.
NSW
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THE Industrial Relations Commission has ordered the RTB Union to cancel tomorrow’s bus strike.
The union is now required to retract its call for members to strike.
It is understood some bus drivers might call in sick to protest, despite the decision.
MORE TO COME ...
EARLIER this evening ...
SYDNEY commuters face a hellish morning after 1200 public bus drivers announced they would strike for 24 hours from midnight tonight.
The stoppage will affect four depots in areas where services are to be privatised: Leichhardt, Burwood, Kingsgrove and Tempe.
It will affect routes across the inner west and southern Sydney.
The vote is a reaction to Transport Minister Andrew Constance announcing the privatisation of some services in inner western and south Sydney.
RTBU Bus Division Secretary Chris Preston said that while members were deeply apologetic about inconveniencing the public, they felt compelled to respond to Minister Constance’s outrageous attack on public transport.
“There is one person to blame for this stoppage and that is Minister Constance.”
“Members of the public should make alternative arrangements to travel to work and take their children to school.”
Mr Constance said the NSW government was about putting customers first — “unlike the union”.
“This call for a strike is about union bosses putting themselves before customers, egged on by the Labor party,” he said.
“I hope the majority of bus drivers who want to deliver a better service to customers ignore their union bosses and show up to work tomorrow.
“I have been very clear — there will be more jobs for bus drivers, not fewer, as Sydney grows. Inner West bus drivers will continue their employment under the new operator.
“The decision to franchise Inner West bus services was made for one reason alone — to give customers a better service for the same price.
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“Union bosses in Newcastle showed leadership and delivered five-year job guarantees for their members without disrupting customers.
“I would urge Mr Preston to do the same.
“We are sourcing a fleet of buses to operate a more limited service in the areas of highest demand.”
Regular bus routes affected:
401 406 407 408 412 413 415 418 422 423 425
426 428 430 431 433 436 437 438 439 440 441
442 444 445 460 461 462 463 464 466 470 473
476 477 478 479 480 483 487 490 491 492 493
495 502 504 508 526
L23 L28 L37 L38 L39
M20 M30 M41
X04 X25
School bus services affected:
560S 561S 562S 563S 565S 566S 567S 568S 569S 570S
571S 572S 573S 574S 575S 576S 577S 578S 579S 580S
581S 582S 583S 584S 585S 586S 587S 588S 589S 590S
591S 592S 593S 595S 596S 597S 598S 600S 601S 602S
603S 604S 605S 606S 607S 608S 609S 610S 611S 612S
613S 614S 615S 616S 617S 618S 619S 620S 621S 622S
623S 624S 625S 626S 627S 628S 629S 630S 631S 632S
633S 634S 635S 636S 637S 638S 639S 640S 641S 642S
643S 644S 645S 646S 647S 648S 650S 651S 652S 654S
655S 656S 657S 658S 659S 660S 661S 662S 663S 664S
670S 671S 672S 673S 674S 675S 676S 677S 678S 679S
680S 681S 682S 683S 684S 685S 690S 691S 692S 693S
700S 701S 702S 710S 711S 712S 713S 714S 715S 716S
718S 720S 721S 725S 726S 730S 731S 732S 733S 734S
735S 736S 738S 740S 741S 743S 745S 750S 751S 753S
755S 757S 760S 761S 762S 763S 764S 765S 766S 767S
768S 769S 770S 780S 781S
Customers should check transportnsw.info for the latest information.
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