Veolia’s southern Queensland bus drivers will strike again this Friday after a wages deal was finalised
August 11, 2011
Veolia Queensland’s Transport Workers Union (TWU) member drivers will strike again in the Redlands Shire, east of Brisbane, from 4am till 8am this Friday, August 12.
Veolia Transport has been negotiating an enterprise agreement with independent bargaining agents and the TWU, and as recently as last week brokered a deal which sees drivers get a four percent wage increase over the next three years.
The package, including other benefits, equates to a 13.9 percent increase for majority of Veolia’s Queensland drivers.
Veolia Transport Queensland Managing Director Colin Jennings says the TWU’s planned strike action for Friday is disappointing.
“Only last week we finalised a deal that would see drivers receive a generous increase in wages and other benefits,” Jennings says.
“We just want to finalise the agreement for our employees and get on
with providing bus services for our community.”
The last negotiation meeting was held on Friday, August 5.
Jennings says TWU officials didn’t attend the meeting, claiming there were no full-time officials suitable or available to attend.
“The TWU’s behaviour over the last few months has been especially disappointing when we have been making progress throughout the negotiation process,” Jennings says.
The current offer maintains Veolia Transport as paying the highest ordinary hourly rate of all the private bus operators in south-east Queensland.