Bus taskforce recommendations need to be urgently implemented
Media release: 14 August 2023
The Rail, Tram and Bus Union NSW (RTBU NSW) said the dire findings released in the first report by the Bus Industry Taskforce should serve as no surprise to long-suffering commuters and bus drivers who have been fighting for better pay and conditions.
Tram and Bus Division Secretary of the Rail, Tram and Bus Union, David Babineau, said commuters have been left with unreliable services due to the privatisation of the bus industry under the former Liberal government.
“All of the problems we’re facing, like the shortage of bus drivers, the two-tiered payment system in many regions which is leaving drivers worse off financially and the poorer quality of services stem from privatisation and long term neglect of the network,” said Mr Babineau.
“While it is welcome that the NSW Government has given in-principle support to the seven key recommendations, we need to see urgent action to fix these on-going issues which largely came about by cost-cutting the bus industry through privatisation.
“The former Liberal government, including Premier and previous Transport Minister Gladys Berejiklian, argued for the privatisation of bus services with the never realised intention of the savings be used to reinvest in improving and expanding services and facilities.
“What we’ve been left with is a deficit of bus drivers to get people from A to B, and those drivers who remain are being paid at different rates in different regions while doing the same job.
“Drivers are being thrown a few crumbs every now and then through incentives like sign-on bonuses but what we need to see is a genuine increase to their base pay and one system of payment to make it equal.
“Payslips are another issue that need to be simplified. Currently we have some drivers receiving a payslip and a spreadsheet breakdown that they have to try and work out what they’ve been paid, which is an issue when companies are not paying people correctly.
“Public transport is an essential service – it should never have been sold off to private companies at the expense of commuters and workers. The Minns Labor government should move forward from the profit and loss mentality served by their predecessors and put public transport back into public hands,” said Mr Babineau.