STA privatisation update

On the back of last week’s announcement by the Liberal Government to privatise the remaining STA operated depots, your Tram & Bus Division officials have been visiting the eight remaining STA sites. Next week will see visits to Region 6 depots and the message has been simple. We are going to fight and we are going to fight together. What happened before cannot be changed but it will not define how we move forward. Lessons have been learned and the entire weight of eight depots will be thrown into this fight. We have people lining up to help us within the Union movement, the political realm, and communities across Sydney. People who care about public transport and those of us who provide it. They’re here to help but it’s up to us to do the heavy lifting.

Today saw a meeting of delegates from all four affected Unions for a campaign briefing with Unions NSW. Each region will be running local actions with a plan to come together as one for a show of force at the end of this month with our allies. While it may seem mundane, the best thing that can be done right now is to talk to your local delegate and offer your time. Find out from them what can be done because ultimately, this is our battle and no one will fight it for us. Things will be kicking off with a rally outside of Brookvale depot this Saturday the 2nd of November (tomorrow) at 10am with Labor and others who care about public transport. This will be replicated around the regions and we’ll need every person willing to stand up for their jobs to win this. With the support of the people of Sydney who do not want to face the debacle of bus services after privatisation, we can make the elected Liberal MPs of Sydney sweat enough that they start screaming for mercy. The pain of Newcastle and Region 6 will be made known far and wide and no one will be happy to support that. This battle will continue well into the new year and broaden into a general fight to save what’s left of the public service. That means more people joining us but we can’t wait till then, we have to stand up now!

Make no mistake, this is a fight we can win. This is a battle for not just our jobs but for the future direction of this Government. We need to stand up, shake off the despondency and get angry. We need to get ACTIVE. The RTBU will be running actions that complement the Unions NSW plan and doing all it can to contribute to the combined efforts of four Unions to save this vital public service. We need to show those who are waiting to join our fight that we are willing to do what is necessary to stand up for what is right. Nothing is off the table in this battle but there’s not going to be any knee-jerk reactions; there’s one shot at this and we’re going to do it right. The Tram and Bus divisional Executive will be leading the charge but for the big decisions, it’s going to come back to the members as it always should. It’s time to have a long overdue fight, and it’s the last chance to do so.

In Solidarity

David Babineau

Divisional Secretary

Tram & Bus Division

What else can you do right now?

• Talk to your family, friends and co-workers about the risks of privatisation. Got questions about privatisation? Speak to your local delegate or call the RTBU office.
• Sign up to Our Transport: www.ourtransport.org.au and ask your family and friends to do the same. We’ll be campaigning publicly through that site.
• If you haven’t already, join your union. We’re stronger together.
• Watch the video below on how bus privatisation affects you.

Tram line shambles a casualty of politicising transport infrastructure

The failing cyclist ban on a key stretch of Newcastle’s tram line is a case study in poor planning, demonstrating how community consultation is abandoned to deliver profits for property developers, the Rail, Tram and Bus Union (RTBU) NSW has said.

RTBU Divisional Secretary David Babineau said the NSW Government’s eagerness to wave through inner city developments has left the public out in the cold, with no alternative paths provided to cyclists who have been barred from the mixed-running section of the light rail line.

The ban was recommended by a safety review after the death of a cyclist in June. But David Babineau said this is the reality of what the state government considers ‘community consultation’: ticking a few boxes to push through a report and get their plans over the line.

“This is yet another classic example of the NSW Government’s approach to transport in the Newcastle region. No consultation, no viable strategy in place, and commuters miss out,” Mr Babineau said.

“The government have legions of planners involved in developments like this. But screens and maps don’t contain the insight you can only get from talking to people who live and work in the space.

“The sad reality is that crucial pieces of infrastructure are constantly held hostage for political gain. Now that the state election is over, the NSW Government seems to have little interest in ensuring their pet project actually works for the people they are intended for.”