Brisbane commuters to wake up to bus shortages, delays on Thursday

Brisbane City Council is warning commuters of public transport disruptions on Thursday, when bus drivers are set to strike over stalled pay negotiations.

In a statement, the council said rolling stoppages were expected between 4am and 6am, with up to 436 bus trips affected and the potential for flow-on delays and congestion throughout the morning peak.

At this stage, no school services will be affected, and the council will call in casual, replacement drivers not involved in the strike to limit the disruption.

Brisbane bus drivers are set to take industrial action over stalled pay negotiations.Credit: Tammy Law

The council’s transport chairman, Cr Ryan Murphy, called on the Rail, Tram and Bus Union to accept the final offer of a 7 per cent pay rise over two years.

“Brisbane bus drivers do a fantastic job, and we have a fair and reasonable pay offer on the table that is above inflation,” Murphy said on Tuesday.

“Unfortunately, if union bosses continue to drag this out, they will only force Brisbane bus drivers to wait longer for a pay rise, and hurt the travelling public.

“We have to make sure we strike a balance by delivering the services our city needs while keeping costs down for every Brisbane resident.”

The RTBU’s Tom Brown said the council offer was below inflation and would not help with drivers’ cost of living pressures.

“We have attended every EBA meeting and bargained in good faith but cannot get a decent pay offer from the council,” he said.

“This is why our members are angry and demanding back pay.”

Brown warned the industrial action could intensify after Thursday if the unions demands were not met.

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