Union members and commuters protested outside New South Wales Coalition Premier Gladys Berejiklian鈥檚 office in Martin Place on December 2 in response to her government鈥檚 plan to privatise the remainder of Sydney鈥檚 bus services.
Buses have already been sold off in the city's inner west and Newcastle, with disastrous results for commuters, including buses running late, service and route cuts and the loss of many bus stops.
The state government announced in October that early next year it would open all 13 of Sydney's metropolitan bus contracts to competitive tender over the next three years. This includes the remaining three regions in the Northern Beaches, Eastern Suburbs and Ryde/Willoughby.
Speakers at the rally called Berejiklian a 鈥渓iar鈥, as she had specifically ruled out additional privatisations days before the state elections in March. A petition demanding no sell-offs, with 11,000 signatures, was presented to the protesters.
Rail Tram and Bus Union NSW bus division secretary David Babineau said transport minister Andrew Constance鈥檚 efforts to deny the buses were being privatised, but merely 鈥渇ranchised鈥, was a 鈥減lay on words 鈥 nothing else."
鈥淲hen private companies are involved in the provision of public service, it鈥檚 a form of privatisation,鈥 Babineau said.
Other speakers included a transport specialist from Sydney University, a commuter from North Sydney, UnionsNSW secretary Mark Morey, NSW Greens MLC Abigail Boyd and Labor state opposition leader Jodi McKay.
[To find out more about the campaign and get involved visit .]