T80 industrial action

[gregrudd]

I note that there is planned industrial action on T80 tomorrow. Does anyone know of the underlying reason?


Thanks heaps

[VivalaBuses]

From 131500:

T80 Liverpool-Parramatta T-Way possible service changes

Commuters are advised there may be industrial action tomorrow that could affect T80 Liverpool-Parramatta T-Way buses only.

No other bus routes in Sydney will be affected.

If industrial action proceeds, Route T80 services will not operate between midnight Thursday 5 January and midnight Friday 6 January.

Commuters who usually catch the T80 service should make alternative travel arrangements as a precaution.

Passengers can catch bus services provided by Westbus or Hopkinsons between Liverpool and Parramatta, or travel to their nearest railway station and catch the train or a replacement bus where trackwork is taking place.

Passengers will be able to use their MyZone ticket on all these services.

Commuters should plan their trip by visiting http://www.131500.com.au or by calling 131500.

The following Westbus or Hopkinsons bus services are suggested for passengers (all buses connect to Parramatta and Liverpool unless otherwise stated):
1. Macquarie – Route 802 on the Tway
2. Memorial – 802 on Memorial Av
3. Brickmakers – 802 on Memorial Av and Hoxton Park Rd
4. Maxwell – 802 on Hoxton Park Rd
5. Ash - 802 on Hoxton Park Rd, Cartwright Av or Cabramatta Av
6. Miller – 802 on Cabramatta Ave or Miller Rd
7. Hinchinbrook – 802 on Miller Rd
8. Cartwright – 802 on Cartwrigth Ave Banks Rd or South Liverpool Rd
9. Busby – 802 on Whitford Rd
10. Green Valley – 802 on North Liverpool Rd
11. Brown – 802 on Tway
12 .Bonnyrigg – 802 804 806 on TWAY
13. Clear Paddock – 806 on Edensor Rd 804 on Mimosa Rd
14. St Johns – 804 on Canley Vale Rd and Bulls Rd
15. Orphan School – 804 on Canley Vale Rd & Greenfield Rd
16. Prairiewood – 806 on Polding St
17. Horsley – 806 on TWAY
18. Victoria – 806 on TWAY
19. Elizabeth – 806 on TWAY
20 .Wetherill – 806 on Victoria St
21. Hassall – 812 to Fairfield or Blacktown or 806 on Davis St or Hassall St
22. Gipps – 806 on Gipps Rd
23. Cooper – 821 on Cooper St to Fairfield
24. Smithfield – 821 on Percival Rd to Fairfield
25. Warren – 821 on Sturt St to Fairfield
26. Woodpark – 802 on Fairfield Rd and Albert St
27. Canal – 820 on Bristol St to Merrylands
28. Sherwood – 806 on Merrylands Rd
29. Centenary – 806 on Merrylands Rd, 810X/811X (Peak hr to Parramatta Only) on Old Prospect Rd
30. Finlayson – 810X/811X (Peak hr to Parramatta only) – 700 on Fullagar Rd (Parramatta only)
31. Colemann – 810X/811X (Peak hr to Parramatta Only) – 700 on Church Av (Parramatta only)
32. Mays Hill – 810X/811X (Peak hr to Parramatta Only) – 700 on Good St (Parramatta only)
33. Pitt – 802 804 806 on Pitt St (south of Great Western Hway)

http://www.131500.com.au/service-change ... ce-changes

EDIT: I wonder whether it would be possible to get private bus companies to run T-Way services? Or even get Sydney Buses to run the services?

[crimsontide]

I note that there is planned industrial action on T80 tomorrow. Does anyone know of the underlying reason?


Thanks heaps

T80 Drivers want the same 4% pay rise given to their Sydney Buses colleagues, only 2.5% is being offered.

[Fleet Lists]

The 131500 links mentioned above now states

Commuters are advised that Route T80 services are expected to operate as normal between midnight Thursday 5 January and midnight Friday 6 January, after proposed industrial action was called off.

[Mr Bean]

T80 Drivers want the same 4% pay rise given to their Sydney Buses colleagues, only 2.5% is being offered.

Sydney Buses colleagues received 3% and traded a few things off to get it. Not 4%.

I heard private bus drivers were seeking 4% but I don't think they have got it.

[crimsontide]

Thanks for the clarification, just taking the report from Ch 7 that mentioned the 4% offered by Sydney Buses.

[AEC Decker]

The drivers from Western Sydney Buses part of the STA want the same pay as the STA drivers. When Western Sydney Buses started, the drivers were employed at a lower rate than the existing STA drivers.
The STA would like ALL of its' bus drivers on the same terms and conditions as the private sector (TWU), which includes fuel, sweep, wash and park their buses at the end of their shift.

[Two-Way]

The STA would like ALL of its' bus drivers on the same terms and conditions as the private sector (TWU), which includes fuel, sweep, wash and park their buses at the end of their shift.

And that is an issue because??

[deepthought2006]

The STA would like ALL of its' bus drivers on the same terms and conditions as the private sector (TWU), which includes fuel, sweep, wash and park their buses at the end of their shift.

And that is an issue because??

STA drivers are part of a different union (RTBU), they are covered under a different award with different pay rates and with different terms and conditions.

Using AEC Decker's examples of some of the differences: STA drivers do not fuel, sweep, or wash their bus, nor (in the return-to-shed-PM-peak) park their buses. There is no time allowed/rostered for drivers to perform such tasks, nor are the drivers suitably trained, nor equipped nor paid for such tasks either. There are other staff rostered to do those things - usually the shed drivers for parking and washing (externally) while for the pm-peak refuelling duties there are specially trained staff, who are at other times of the day employed as bus cleaners.

At the end of the PM peak, the sheer number of buses returning to the STA depots within such a short space of time requires a "production line" to ensure that the buses are refuelled and parked efficiently without causing major traffic jams in the depot and in surrounding streets and also without payment of wages (for overtime) for bus drivers to be just sitting in their buses waiting to get into the depot so that they can pay in and go home.

Were these things to be changed, the whole scope of the STA Drivers award would be up for grabs (and it would probably affect the TWU drivers' award, too, if some form of amalgamation were tried). That's why this would be an issue.

Personally, I'd prefer to see the private company drivers come under the RTBU's coverage, but I don't think that this would happen in a hurry, either, for much the same reasons.

[schunniky]

EDIT: I wonder whether it would be possible to get private bus companies to run T-Way services? Or even get Sydney Buses to run the services?

I second this. My uncle who works with Westbus at the Bonnyrigg depot often goes on about how he wonders if the T80 drivers ever get bored of driving that road up and down as a job. I have the same sentiments. It seems unreasonable to continue operating WSB just for one route, so (apologies in advance for any ignorance in suggesting this) why can't Westbus take over the route? Surely they have the resources to do so.

[Simes]

The STA would like ALL of its' bus drivers on the same terms and conditions as the private sector (TWU), which includes fuel, sweep, wash and park their buses at the end of their shift.

And that is an issue because??

Given how the STA like to pack em in, in large numbers, that would be monumentally silly

[Fleet Lists]

EDIT: I wonder whether it would be possible to get private bus companies to run T-Way services? Or even get Sydney Buses to run the services?

I second this. My uncle who works with Westbus at the Bonnyrigg depot often goes on about how he wonders if the T80 drivers ever get bored of driving that road up and down as a job. I have the same sentiments. It seems unreasonable to continue operating WSB just for one route, so (apologies in advance for any ignorance in suggesting this) why can't Westbus take over the route? Surely they have the resources to do so.

Two things I like to coment on:-
Firstly some people like to drive the same route day after day without having to put up with the challenge of having to learn another route. Two such instance come to mind - I was talking to a driver on one occasion doinga special taking some gymnats somewhere and he was most unhappy that he was taken of his regular Lakmeba - Greenacre run whch was about an half an hour returm trip saying that he was the happiest driving just that same route up to nearly 20 times a day some days. And there was a guy called Ray Russell who drove route 20 from Bankstown to Bankstown Showground while that was operated by Arthur Wood, Bass Hill Bus Service, Baxters and then Transit First over a forty year period. When that route failed to exist after the region reviw that was time for hin to retire - still doing the occasional school specila of required. That would have driven most people crazy but that was he wanted to do.

When T80 was first started in was allocated to Western Sydney Buses on the understanding that it would be handed over to the region 3 private operators (not necessarily just Westbus) when the region review was to be implemented. And that was posted on this board as a specifically approved matter. But when the region review came along the government bowed to pressure from certain quarters which I will not name, and went back on that decision and it stayed with Western Sydney Buses. I am almost sure that this will be one matter which will be looked at again if the Liberals take over in two months time and that if is almost a certainty.
And as far as Sydney Buses running the TWay is concerned, that is virtually what is happening now as Western Sydney Buses is just a section of Sydney Buses operating under another name - their head office is at the same place and if you request a timetable for route T80 through 131500 it is sent out by Sydney Buses.

[Rick R]

The STA would like ALL of its' bus drivers on the same terms and conditions as the private sector (TWU), .....

AEC Decker would be interseted to know that the TWU would like all of its members to be paid the same wages as STA drivers. Someone should tell them that the's a slight difference between Km payments

[wallace]

So your saying STA drivers can't give the bus a quick sweep out between runs? I do it if I have a spare 5 minutes in between runs. Beats standing round having a ciggy which seems to be very popular in this industry.