NSW: Bus drivers go ahead with 24-hour strike

AAP General News (Australia)
12-17-2009
NSW: Bus drivers go ahead with 24-hour strike

By Adam Bennett and Stephanie Gardiner

SYDNEY, Dec 17 AAP - Up to 600,000 commuters will be left stranded in Sydney and Newcastle
by a 24-hour bus drivers' strike on Friday despite a pay offer from the NSW government.

The Rail Tram and Bus Union (RTBU) called the strike, due to start at 4am (AEDT), citing
a breakdown in award negotiations between drivers and the state government three weeks
ago.

The union said on Thursday the strike would go ahead in spite of a NSW Industrial Relations
Commission (IRC) recommendation that it be called off.

RTBU spokesman Raul Baonza said the State Transit Authority (STA) had refused to allow
union members to attend a meeting called to decide on strike action on Thursday night.

He said drivers would proceed with the strike regardless of the state government's
offer of a six per cent pay rise over two years.

On Thursday night, Premier Kristina Keneally confirmed the government would honour
an offer of wage increases of three per cent backdated from June 12 this year and a further
three per cent from June 12 next year.

Ms Keneally called on the union to abandon strike action, saying it would be a great
inconvenience to workers and Christmas shoppers.

"The fact is this is a major inconvenience, it is unwarranted and it is unnecessary,"

she told reporters.

"The government has made a fair and generous offer.

"The union asked us for an offer and we provided one - a fair and generous offer at six per cent.

"The union asked us to confirm that offer and I have done so."

Transport Minister David Campbell denied delegates had been stopped from attending their meeting.

Mr Baonza described the government's offer as too little, too late.

"The government has had six months to give us a sensible offer, and now at the last
minute they put something on the table and expect us to just accept it," he said in a
statement.

He said the government was never serious about negotiating with the union or stopping the strike.

The NSW opposition labelled the snap strike an act of Christmas bastardry, which provided
a crucial first test for "novice" premier Ms Keneally just seven days out from Christmas.

"This is an act of bastardry by the bus union - they're the Christmas Grinches," Opposition
Leader Barry O'Farrell told reporters in Sydney.

"This is a double hit, not just to commuters trying to get to work, but it is also
going to affect businesses."

Sydney's business lobby also reacted angrily, branding it a major disruption at the
busiest time of year.

"It should be seen for what it is - a miserable act designed to deliberately inconvenience
businesses, workers and shoppers at Christmas," NSW Business Chamber chief executive Stephen
Cartwright said.

Mr Baonza apologised to commuters for the timing of the strike but insisted the union
had "nowhere else to go".

State transit bus tickets will be recognised on CityRail train services and Sydney
Ferries during the strike and drivers will be allowed to use bus lanes.

Western Sydney bus services on the Liverpool Parramatta Transitway will not be affected.

AAP sg/it/mn

KEYWORD: BUSES 2ND WRAP

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