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NSW drivers back enterprise agreement

Drivers at four major NSW bus companies have got behind a new enterprise agreement

By Sean Muir | February 11, 2012

New South Wales bus drivers from Punchbowl Bus Company, Veolia Transdev, Busabout and Interline have voted in favour of a new union agreement.

More than 95 percent of members from the companies have voted in support of the agreement, the Transport Workers Union (TWU) announced in a statement last week.

BusNSW Executive Director Darryl Mellish says the enterprise agreement rolls over existing provisions for metro and outer metro operators.

He says the agreement provides drivers with wage increases of 3.3 percent in July 2013 and 3.3 percent in July 2014.

Mellish says BusNSW
recommended the roll-over of conditions and the wage rates
to provide stability in the contract renewal period.

“A number of metropolitan operators have proceeded with this recommendation,” he says.

“There are other operators who are negotiating agreements based on their individual circumstances.”

TWU NSW Secretary Wayne Forno congratulated union members who had voted in favour of the agreement.

“Members should be proud of what they have achieved in relation to the new bus industry union agreement,”
Forno says.

“It was a difficult fight and given the O’Farrell Government’s decision to put private bus contracts out to tender, members have made considerable gains to protect their jobs in the industry.”

Forno says members who voted for the new agreement will benefit from:

  • protection of conditions contained in their current agreement
  • a wage increase that is in excess of the NSW Government’s wage cap
  • job security
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