Transport Worker's Union members employed by bus company Transdev WA are continuing their strike actions for parity in wages and conditions with drivers in private companies.
Attempts by the TWU leadership to get the Western Australian state government, responsible for contracting the French Multinational company that employs 1100 bus drivers to force Transdev WA to negotiate have failed.
Drivers walked off the job on February 27 and staged a 4-hour strike as the concert by US rapper Eminem at Perth's Optus stadium was underway, leaving many concert goers stranded afterwards.
The action affected the flow of buses at nine different stations including Fremantle, Murdoch, Butler, Clarkson and Rockingham.
TWU members have been campaigning since January 2018 to gain parity with drivers employed by Swan Transit including 5 week's annual leave, a 3% pay increase, better superannuations provisions and a better pathway to permanency.
Talks between the TWU and Transdev WA broke down last October. Since then, drivers have employed a variety of tactics, including rolling stoppages, uniform-free days turning off the ticketing machines and more recently emptying their buses, locking them up and walking off the job.
TWU WA state secretary Tim Dawson has described these tactics as 鈥済uerilla warfare鈥 鈥 designed to keep Transdev WA on its toes. 鈥淲e're not striking every day, we intend to strike on different days without too much warning鈥, he said.
On February 27, TWU organiser Mark Bydder reiterated that the Transdev WA drivers demand for parity with drivers employed by other bus companies has to be met.
[The TWU is asking for support for their campaign. You can email your local MP, WA Premier Mark McGowan (wa-government@dpc.wa.gov.au), the transport minister Rita Saffiodi (Saffioti@dpc.wa.gov.au) and call on Transperth on 136213 to negotiate with the TWU.]