Bus drivers for CDC Victoria aren’t backing down when it comes to negotiations, with the Transport Workers’ Union (TWU) announcing a third strike to place pressure on the bus operator.
Kicking off tomorrow, July 1, the industrial action will see bus routes and charter services in Ballarat and Geelong halted, with severely disrupted services in Mildura and Melbourne’s south, north and western suburbs.
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The TWU says CDC Victoria’s current proposal falls short on workers’ core demands, including drivers’ safety, improved working conditions and fair pay.
“For the hard work that we do, the current offer is a definite slap in the face,” CDC Tullamarine union delegate Jason Holmes says.
“We don’t like disrupting our passengers. But unfortunately, we’ve been pushed to this point to make CDC listen.”
To see which routes will be affected, please visit the PTV website.
This is the third strike organised by the union, with the most recent affecting over a third of Victoria’s bus network.
Both CDC Victoria and Dysons services were to be affected by the last strike, yet the Dysons strike was stopped following the workforce voting up the proposed EBA despite the TWU pushing for more.
The agreement delivers pay rises of 13 per cent over three years, increases to allowances and a commitment on overtime parity. This was the original offer that Dysons has consistently made to its drivers since the EBA negotiations began earlier this year.
TWU director of organising in Victoria and Tasmania Sam Lynch has urged CDC to present an improved offer for workers to seriously consider.
“Although the Dysons agreement falls short of what we would have liked, members should be proud of the progress we made. The fight to lift pay and conditions across Victoria’s bus industry is not over yet,” he says.
“Negotiations are ongoing at CDC, and the TWU will not stop until we have secured real improvements to pay and conditions for every driver. We’re putting CDC and the entire bus industry on notice.
“We want to get this resolved as quickly as possible. But we also want to see a deal that gives bus drivers the respect they deserve.”
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