Metro Tasmania is ‘disappointed’ talks today failed to resolve an ongoing pay dispute with bus drivers
March 14, 2013
Metro Tasmania is ‘disappointed’ talks today failed to resolve an ongoing pay dispute with bus drivers.
Metro CEO Heather Haselgrove has reiterated that Metro can’t afford the three percent pay
rise
– per year
for three years – the
Rail Tram and Bus Union (RTBU)
is demanding.
Haselgrove says Metro will make a revised offer to employees next week.
“At talks today we offered some additional benefits for bus drivers and were willing to consider an increase in the pay offer in return for efficiency trade-offs that would reduce Metro’s costs,” she says.
She Metro offered an increase of greater than
two percent in the third year of the agreement if inflation was running higher.
She says Metro may also increase the pay offer to 2.1 percent a year in the first two years, subject to board approval, in return for some small cost savings.
“Unfortunately we have been unable to reach agreement today,” Haselgrove says.
“Nevertheless, we’re hopeful that drivers will decide to end industrial action and accept a revised offer that we will put to them next week.”
Bus drivers at the Hobart and Launceston depots will strike again tomorrow, as part of ongoing industrial action.
No services will operate in Hobart and Launceston between 1pm and 2pm. Other services between 11.30am and 1pm and between 2pm and 3pm will also be affected.
Workers at the Burnie depot will also strike tomorrow, which will disrupt services between 8.30am and 12pm. No services will operate between 10am and 11am. Other services between 8.30am and 10am and between 11am and 12pm will also be affected.