Major Disruption As NSW Buses Drivers Strike In 24-Hour Industrial Action

The New South Wales state government has another fight on its hands as hundreds of bus drivers walk off the job.

Workers from the Transport Workers Union and Rail, Tram, and Bus Union walked off the job at midnight for 24-hours as a part of the union's long-running dispute with the state government over pay and conditions.

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The industrial action is set to cause more disruption for morning commuters, with people in Sydney and across parts of regional NSW advised to prepare for significant delays after more than 1000 bus drivers walked off the job.

The union is demanding changes to maximum shift hours, with more breaks, greater training and equal pay for drivers doing the same job.

“David Elliott is continuing to avoid his responsibility for the health and safety of bus drivers and their passengers,“ TWU state secretary Richard Olsen said over the weekend.

“Drivers are driving buses owned by the NSW government, the bus routes and the bus stops are set by the NSW government, yet the government through the minister claims no responsibility for safety and the conditions of the workers who operate the buses.

- Richard Olsen

However, the NSW Transport Minister has said it’s not the government’s responsibility.

“Ongoing negotiations over pay and conditions is a matter between bus drivers and the private operators,” David Elliott said last week.

“The NSW government cannot intervene in the negotiating of enterprise agreements between private operators and their workers."

- Minister Elliott

Services in Sydney, the Hunter Region, Lake Macquarie, Blue Mountains, Central Coast and Queanbeyan are expected to be impacted by workers going on strike. 

Reduced Sydney bus services

Liverpool, Fairfield, Parramatta, (Transit Systems)

Hills District (CDC)

Inner West, Some Sydney CBD, Olympic Park, Strathfield, Rockdale (Transit Systems)

Cronulla, Engadine, Sutherland, Menai (Transdev)

Hornsby, Gordon, Berowra (Transdev)

Lidcombe, Granville, Bankstown, Liverpool (Transdev)

Outer Metro

Reduced regional NSW bus services

Newcastle (CDC Hunter)

Hunter Valley (CDC Hunter)

Tuggerah and Wyong (Coastal Liner)

Blue Mountains (Blue Mountains Transit)

Transport for NSW have said that all affected lines will run on a reduced timetable. 

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