Bus passengers in Parramatta will travel fare-free for three days, in an escalation of industrial action taken by bus drivers fighting for same-job same-pay in the bus industry.
Drivers across regions 3 and 6 of the network will again turn off Opal card machines from Monday to Wednesday, and are calling on the NSW Government to intervene and force the operator, Transit Systems, to negotiate in good faith.
Region 3 takes in areas such as Parramatta and Merrylands.
TWU NSW State Secretary Richard Olsen said the Transport Minister “owes it to the bus drivers to show some leadership and force Transit Systems to negotiate”.
“The State Government needs to step in and drag Transit Systems back to the negotiating table. They’re the ones ultimately controlling the purse strings, and they owe as much to these drivers who work each and every day providing a service for the Government” Mr Olsen said.
“It’s simply not good enough for the Government to sit back and watch while this bus operator refuses to negotiate with its workforce, which is what is causing this industrial action.
“Drivers are not asking for a lot here – it’s just about making sure that each and every bus driver is getting the same pay for doing the same job.
“If the State Government and the operator want to keep ignoring these reasonable calls from bus drivers, then we will see industrial action continue and, in all likelihood, escalate”.
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