Brisbane City Council bus drivers set to walk off from next week as pay stoush escalates

Brisbane City Council bus drivers could go on strike from next week if their demands for a pay rise, on par with what police are negotiating, are not met.

Brisbane City Council bus drivers could go on strike from next week if their demands for the latest in a string of pay rises since Covid lockdown are not met, with predictions the dispute is set to “escalate”.

The threat came amid negotiations for thousands of enterprise bargaining agreements across Queensland, with police, nurses, teachers and other Brisbane council staff among those whose EBAs were due to expire within months.

About 8000 council workers covered by the CFMEU, Professionals Australia (engineers) and electrical, plumbing and other unions were pushing for an extra 4.5 per cent a year over two years.

Council has slightly upped its offer to those unions, taking it to 3.5 per cent and 3 per cent.

But the unions were not satisfied and were due to appear in the Queensland Industrial Relations Commission on Friday, February 14, to hear the matter.

Rail Tram and Bus Union boss Tom Brown. Picture: Liam Kidston

The Services Union state secretary Neil Henderson said if no agreement was reached on Friday, the unions would report back to their members and discuss whether they wanted to proceed to industrial action.

Rail Tram and Bus Union boss Tom Brown said his members would be allowed to take “protected’’ industrial action if their EBA negotiations failed.

Council was due to come back to the RTBU with a counter offer on Friday.

The union would then make a decision on strike action, but would not be allowed to start that until Thursday next week.

Speaking on Friday, Brisbane transport chair Ryan Murphy said he expects the council’s dispute to “escalate” next week.

Speaking on ABC radio, Mr Murphy said council has offered a “fair and reasonable” figure, and the union’s expectation is “silly” and “out of step” with the community.

“The last thing we want to do is shake the faith people are building in public transport,” he said.

“The union is really holding the bus drivers to ransom here.”

Mr Murphy said he hopes council can reach an agreement with the union so services in Brisbane can continue.

Mr Brown defended the latest pay demand, 4.5 per cent a year over two years, saying his members were on a base pay rate of only $35 an hour.

It came after two 8 per cent hikes during Covid, but he told radio 4BC on Thursday morning that those two increases had come after an earlier two-year wage freeze.

Brisbane City Council bus drivers could walk off the job next week. Picture: Brisbane City Council

When asked why bus drivers deserved almost as much of a pay rise as police, who were currently negotiating for an extra 5 per cent a year, Mr Brown said his members also helped keep the public safe by reducing the number of cars on the road.

“Inflation was out of hand (post-Covid) and we got those pay rises over a two-year period,’’ he said.

“We are still at the bottom of the food chain and those rises were not just for us, they were for every council worker.

“Since those rises came in (bus) patronage has gone up 20 per cent.

“I would argue the more buses on the roads the less cars and the less cars the more lives are saved.

“We might not be on the front line but we are doing our bit.’’

Transport chair Ryan Murphy said council would not back down.

“Our bus drivers’ pay has increased by almost 30 per cent since 2012 and they are some of the best paid in the country,’’ he said.

“The longer this union dispute goes on, the longer the union will force drivers to wait for a fair and reasonable pay increase.

“Public transport exists to serve the community and it’s really disappointing the union is threatening to cause commuter chaos.

“Regardless of these threats to escalate industrial action, our council will continue to negotiate with all parties in good faith.’’

Asked if drivers were worth that much money, Mr Murphy said: “Our bus drivers do a great job for our city.”

Ryan Murphy says council will not back down. Picture: Richard Walker

“But the feeling out there in the depots is they’re quite happy. There’s a difference between what the union says and what drivers are feeling.

He said on Wednesday that drivers had not been wearing uniforms as part of protected industrial so council’s normal uniform standards did not apply.

About 200 union members have chosen to forgo their uniforms as part of ongoing industrial action.

But a photo of a driver wearing a MAGA (Make America Great Again) cap, which are associated with US president Donald Trump and his supporters, sparked public controversy about “politically associated clothing” while on the job.

“Our uniform policy is effectively suspended. We don’t have much control,’’ Mr Murphy said.

“When the QIRC (Queensland Industrial Relations Commission) say this is protected industrial action, that’s the law and we follow the law.’’

Originally published as Brisbane City Council bus drivers set to walk off from next week as pay stoush escalates