Unions show support for drivers standing up for safety

Last night at a meeting at Unions NSW the Bus Division tabled a letter, explaining the action that drivers took this week to ensure their safety and the safety of passengers after video footage came to light showing a gas powered bus exploding near Port Botany.

The letter stated that:

“On Tuesday bus drivers took the difficult decision to withdraw STA gas buses from circulation until assurances could be given that these buses were safe. Despite the inevitable political backlash, drivers felt that this was the only responsible course of action they could take…

 

The Industrial Relations Commission later directed drivers to return the gas buses to service, but also directed STA to form a working party to address our safety concerns and to report back to the Commission next Tuesday.” Read the full letter

 

After this letter was tabled Unions NSW recommended:

“That the correspondence be received and Unions NSW endorse the actions of the RTBU and their members in bringing to a head their concerns with respect to gas buses.  Unions NSW notes the setting up of a working party to investigate the union’s safety concerns.

 

Further, we condemn the NSW Government for not having taken action earlier to adequately address the union’s concerns that potentially unsafe gas-powered buses could risk the lives of both passengers and workers.”

In addition to this the Electrical Trades Union submitted a letter to the meeting, which said:

“Aggressive statements likening policy debates around industrial relations to the cold war politics of the 1950s and likening bus drivers concerned about burning buses to guerrillas are absurd.

 

This over-the-top rhetoric is absolutely counterproductive. Glib throw-away lines do nothing to enhance the debate around productivity nor they address the very legitimate concerns bus drivers have for the safety of their passengers, and indeed themselves. The Premier’s rhetoric simply detracts from the issues at hand.” Read the full letter

Unions NSW further recommended:

“That the correspondence be received and Unions NSW call upon the Premier to stop his extreme language against trade unions which only serves to demean his position as the Premier of NSW.

 

Further, unions in a democratic society have an obligation to represent workers with respect to employment related matters including the important issue of OH&S.  Accordingly, we call upon the Premier to acknowledge the important role that unions play in protecting the rights of working people.”

 

The Bus Division appreciates these words from Bernie Riordan and was grateful for the widespread support drivers have received from across the union community.

Drivers will not be intimidated by the State Government’s public vilification of them and the support shown by other unions shows we are not alone.