Sydney bus drivers to strike over pay and working conditions

Sydney commuters have been warned to brace for another day of public transport chaos as workers strike over pay and conditions.

NSW bus drivers will strike next Monday to demand fair pay and better working conditions.

Commuters in Sydney and other parts of the state will likely be impacted by the 24-hour industrial action.

Areas outside of Sydney that will be affected include the Hunter Region, Lake Macquarie, Blue Mountains, Central Coast and Queanbeyan.

The Transport Workers Union and the Rail, Tram and Bus Union (RTBU) announced the strike on Tuesday afternoon, saying demands made on behalf of drivers in February were ignored by the NSW government.

Bus commuters in Sydney and other parts of NSW will be impacted. Picture: Toby Zerna

A Transport NSW spokesperson confirmed that bus services in parts of Greater Sydney would be impacted.

“The health and safety of our customers and our bus drivers is our top priority,” they said.

“We understand this is a frustrating situation for our customers, and we are doing what we can to reduce disruption during this time.”

TWU state secretary Richard Olsen said the government should enforce industry standards to ensure drivers doing the same job get the same payment, and to improve health and safety for workers.

“Central to drivers’ demands are same-job same-pay protections, as the current system sees some drivers receiving substantially lower pay and conditions than others working in the same depot, driving the same routes,” Mr Olsen said in a statement.

“Across the industry bus drivers are also questioning their own safety at work and the safety of their passengers as the NSW Government has not taken its share of responsibility to provide adequate training, reduction of violence against bus drivers and the provision of adequate fatigue management conditions.”

The strike comes after a dispute between the rail union and the NSW government created chaos for commuters earlier in the year. Picture: NCA NewsWire / James Gourley

“Bus drivers cannot find toilets or adequate places to have a proper fatigue break away from their buses. Drivers are expected to ‘hold on’ because toilet facilities are either closed or non-existent.”

He also said drivers faced abuse and violence on the job.

The strike comes after a heated dispute between the unions and government over working conditions for train workers caused officials to shut down the Sydney train network with little warning on a Monday in February.

The government has promised to let commuters ride trains for free for 12 days later in April as a way to make up for the chaos, and has urged the RTBU to cease industrial actions.

According to Transport NSW, negotiations on proposed Enterprise Agreements are continuing.

Originally published as Sydney bus drivers to strike over pay and working conditions