Commuter chaos as bus drivers strike over pay and working conditions

Melbourne bus network has been thrown into chaos Friday morning, with thousands of drivers walking off the job.

Melbourne faces a day of commuter chaos on Friday as thousands of bus drivers plan to walk off the job after failing to reach agreements over pay and working conditions.

The 1500 workers will cease work for 24 hours after negotiations over bargaining agreements between the Transport Workers Union and Ventura and Dyson, the state’s biggest public transport operators, deteriorated.

A third of Melbourne’s buses will continue to function after bus operator Kinetic reached an agreement with bus drivers earlier in the week.

These are the bus drivers who kept Victoria’s essential industries going throughout the pandemic. They don’t want to strike today, but they have no choice after talks broke down over fair pay and conditions

Show them your support. #ausunionspic.twitter.com/i9n49qpLVs

— TWU Australia (@TWUAus) May 5, 2022

Drivers are picketing at the Dyson bus depot in Bundoora this morning, preventing buses from leaving while chanting “union power.”

Dyson bus driver of four years Gurminder Singh is one of the hundreds of drivers who braved the freezing weather at 4am to protest at the Bundoora depot.

Mr Singh said their shifts were unfair and unsustainable.

“In one week we’ll have to work early and late shifts, it’s a big problem with timing,” he said.

“It’s not good, we don’t have a family life. With morning and afternoon shifts at the same time it’s just really hard to cope, you’re driving and can’t get sleepy.”

Coupled with insufficient breaks, Mr Singh said the situation had taken a huge emotional and physical toll on drivers.

“They have totally ignored everything,” he said.

Drivers are picketing at the Dyson bus depot in Bundoora on Friday morning.

Driver Delegate from Dyson Bundoora, Billy Spasovski, said the operation companies were resisting handing down government-funded pay rises to the drivers.

“They’ve refused to pass it on and until negotiations are done they’re trying to use it as leverage,” he said.

“Basically they’re using our money against us,” Mr Singh added.

The group fired up a barbecue, blasted upbeat music and enthusiastically chanted and cheered to the honks of passing cars.

With more drivers on the way they are gearing up to front another chilly night, planning to stay at the depot until 4am Saturday morning.

Bob Lean, Senior Organiser for the Bus Sanction at TWU, says bus operators are prioritising their private school routes.

“Ventura are only servicing their private school contracts, not their PTV ones which include public schools — they’re using the depots that aren’t on strike to fulfill their private school contracts,” he said.

“Special needs school buses are still going out, thirteen went out this morning. We make sure they all go out no matter what happens, strikes or anything.

“No normal buses have gone out here or at the Dyson depot in Reservoir, or any of the eight Ventura depots that are on strike.”

TWU Victoria Tasmania secretary Mike McNess.

Both of Dyson’s metro depots are on strike and workers at its regional stations, which are not on strike, have not shown up to work.

Eight of Ventura’s 11 Melbourne depots are on strike today. The only operating bus routes are those that normally depart from the three terminals that remain open, in addition to private school buses, which have been rerouted.

The blocking of all Dyson buses would affect at least 80 metro routes and 100 metro school runs, although strikers are reportedly letting specialist buses leave the depot.

“Yes, this is an election issue. We have a cost of living crisis and these bus drivers deserve better” - @TWUVicTas Branch Secretary Mike McNess tells @sunriseon7pic.twitter.com/6nKhsGjTy9

— TWU Australia (@TWUAus) May 5, 2022

Ventura’s School and NightBus services will operate as usual, as will all regional services and Department of Education specialist school and night buses.

Police are present at the scene but are not interfering.

TWU Branch Secretary for Victoria and Tasmania Mike McNess said earlier that he apologised for the inconvenience to the public.

“Striking is a last resort and the decision has not been made lightly by local bus drivers,” he said.

“However, many bus drivers have been left with no other choice in their pursuit of fair conditions.”

The militant Transport Workers Union is negotiating new enterprise bargaining agreements with Ventura and Dyson, two of the state’s leading public transport operators.

But the TWU claims Dysons have refused to agree to a wage increase, while Ventura are yet to resolve core issues around overtime rates and meal breaks.