Disruptions loom, strike action to impact Geelong CDC bus routes

Monday morning could be extra busy for some Geelong parents, with a second round of strike action set to strand buses on 10 Geelong routes at the depot.

Buses operated by CDC, including route 23, will not run on Monday as the Transport Worker’s Union strikes.

Geelong buses across ten routes will not run early next week, as negotiations stall between operator CDC and the union.

CDC buses servicing routes 1, 10, 11, 12, 19, 20, 23, 24, 25 and 43 will not run on Monday, June 16 as the Transport Worker’s Union (TWU) commits to a 24-hour strike over driver pay and conditions.

A second day of strike action planned for June 17 has been cancelled.

Union delegates met with representatives from CDC Victoria on Thursday for last ditch talks before the stoppage, however an agreement could not be met.

TWU organiser Sam Lynch urged CDC to present an offer that workers can “seriously consider” in a statement.

“The fight to lift pay and conditions across Victoria’s bus industry is not over yet,” Mr Lynch said.

“Negotiations are ongoing at CDC, and the TWU will not stop until we have secured real improvements to pay and conditions for every driver.

“We’re putting CDC and the entire bus industry on notice.”

School buses only will continue to run in Geelong on Monday, however the affected bus routes service more than dozen Geelong schools.

Those schools include Western Heights, St Joseph’s, Clonard and Sacred Heart College, North Geelong Secondary, Geelong High, Matthew Flinders, Geelong College, Lara Secondary and St John’s Lutheran School.

V/Line trains and bus routes operated by McHarry’s Buslines will not be impacted and will runs as normal.

“We want to get this resolved as quickly as possible,” Mr Lynch said.

“But we also want to see a deal that gives bus drivers the respect they deserve.”

In a statement earlier this week, CDC apologised to commuters for inconvenience caused by the disruption.

The industrial action will also impact CDC routes in Melbourne, Mildura and Ballarat.

The Department of Transport also issued a warning to commuters, advising passengers to check ahead and plan for disruptions.

CDC Victoria is a subsidiary of Singaporean-owned ComfortDelGro Australia, itself a subsidiary of transport-giant ComfortDelGro.

Homegrown Geelong bus operator Benders Busways, founded in 1926, was purchased by the Kefford Corporation in 2000, before that company was sold to ComfortDelGro in 2009 for $149m.

Monday’s strike action had also been set to affect another bus operator, Dysons Group, however the company’s drivers narrowly approved a proposal by the company offering a 13 per cent pay rise over three years.

Originally published as Disruptions loom, strike action to impact Geelong CDC bus routes