The Transport Workers’ Union (TWU) has announced that multiple bus strikes will be part of 24-hour stop work action today in Queensland.
From the Gold Coast to the Sunshine Coast, bus drivers and cleaners will protest over pay and driver shortages.
The TWU says more than 500 members from Kinetic/ Surfside in the Gold Coast and Kinetic/ Sunbus in the Sunshine Coast, as well as from Clarks Logan City Bus Service, will take 24-hour stop work action today.
Bus drivers are taking strike action for the fourth time in three months, with low wages, driver shortages and a lack of public transport investment being key points the workers want to discuss in negotiations over the three Enterprise Agreements for each operator.
TWU members at each of the three companies impacted by this have overwhelmingly endorsed protection action, with the TWU calling on the state government to intervene to avoid further disruptions.
“If we act on wages now, we can retain existing staff while attracting new drivers and avoid the looming crisis of more services being reduced,” TWU Queensland director of organising Jared Abbott says.
“We don’t have a driver shortage, we have a wage shortage – bus driver wages have not kept up with the cost of living or other industries.
“If you look at how many drivers have been trained and are able to work in this industry, it’s clear that we aren’t doing enough to incentivise retention.
“We need to invest in our public transport in order to ensure that we have a safe and sustainable network now and in the lead-up to the 2032 Olympics.”