Industrial Relations Commission ordered Rail, Tram and Bus Union to cease today’s bus strike action

SYDNEY is still likely to suffer traffic chaos this morning despite a late-night ruling that today’s planned bus driver strike action was illegal.

The strike announcement came after the state government announced­ on Monday it would sell off the entire inner-west fleet. Picture: John Appleyard

SYDNEY is still likely to suffer traffic chaos this morning despite a late-night ruling that today’s planned bus driver strike action was illegal.

The Industrial Relations Commission ordered that the Rail, Tram and Bus Union and its members immediately cease organising or taking any form of strike action against the planned privatisation of some bus services.

The union was ordered to notify its members of the IRC decision by 10pm through its website and social media. It did not appear to have done so by 10.30pm.

Despite the commission’s order it is still expected that a number of bus drivers in the city’s inner west and parts of the south could call in sick this morning. Workers and schoolchildren were still being warned to make alternative plans as the extent of the disruption was unknown.

About 141,000 bus trips are taken each weekday in the inner west alone. Transport Minister Andrew Constance said private buses were being organised to target areas of high need.

The RTBU announced­ the snap 24-hour strike, which was to begin at midnight across more than 230 routes in the inner west and south, late yesterday before the IRC ruled it illegal just hours later.

The stoppage was to affect four depots in areas where services­ are to be privatised: Leichhardt, Burwood, Kingsgrove and Tempe. Picture: Adam Yip

The strike announcement came after the state government announced­ on Monday it would sell off the entire inner-west fleet.

The stoppage was to affect four depots in areas where services­ are to be privatised: Leichhardt, Burwood, Kingsgrove and Tempe.

It is understood the union had been indicating to the State Transit Authority that it was planning a stopwork meeting some time next week, before dropping the bombshell strike news just before 6pm.

Before the IRC ruling, Mr Constance pleaded with bus drivers to show up for work this morning.

“I have been very clear — there will be more jobs for bus drivers, not fewer, as Sydney grows,” Mr Constance said.

“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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RTBU Bus Division secretary Chris Preston did not answer calls last night following the IRC decision.

He had earlier apologised for the inconvenience the strike would cause but said the privatisation decision had been made without consulting the community or bus drivers. “This is an inconvenience that a competent and trustworthy Transport Minister would never allow to happen,” he said.