Busways wins Region 7 tender while in court for greenfield contract

The NSW Government’s awarding of Sydney’s Region 7 bus operations tender to Busways is ludicrous considering the company is in court next week over a greenfield contract, the Rail, Tram and Bus Union (RTBU) NSW says, amid fears for workers and the community.

“This is like booking your grandmother in for surgery with a doctor who’s facing a malpractice lawsuit,” says David Babineau, Secretary of the Tram and Bus Division. 

“How can the government award Busways the tender to operate North West Sydney’s buses, when next Tuesday they’re in court over a greenfield application which is the basis for the very same tender?

“Common sense indicates a responsible government would wait for an outcome from any court proceedings before awarding a contract to operate an essential public service. 

“It seems the Berejiklian Government is simply hellbent on ploughing ahead with its timetable for dismantling and privatising Sydney’s bus network.

“We’ve already had a taste of what a greenfield contract would create in Region 6. A two-tiered workforce with separate pay and conditions doing the same job, with both workforces getting ripped off and people forced to find new jobs to make ends meet.

“Despite constant assurances from government that no one would be worse off, here it seems the government simply want to do it again.

“It’s a nightmare for both the workers and the community. Surely we know better by now, and we must do better.

“Bus drivers and transport workers will not accept a two-tiered workplace ever again. There is no compromise.

“The Berejiklian Government should rescind this tender immediately and either hold off until Busways are in the clear, or do the decent thing listen to the community that is begging for their buses to be kept in public hands.”