BY JOHN NEBAUER
& BRONWEN BEECHEY
ADELAIDE — More than 150 bus drivers went on strike here on July 25 and 600 on July 28. Their actions follow strikes earlier this month. Another strike is planned for August 4, with the the prospect of further action later in August and in September.
Several private companies operate Adelaide's public transport system. About 600 drivers with Serco and 155 drivers with SouthLink are campaigning for an 8% pay rise over two years, a 7.6-hour working day and overtime paid daily, not weekly.
Alex Gallacher, state secretary of the Transport Workers' Union (TWU), denied the companies' charge that the workers' claim will cost them 14.5% more than currently. "Our figures show our claim will cost 10.6%", he said.
The South Australian Labor government, and particularly transport minister Michael Wright, has been repeatedly criticised by the union for not getting involved in mediating the dispute. Wright has blamed the "disastrous" privatisation contract negotiated by the former state Liberal government, which resulted in Adelaide's bus services being split between four companies. Wright insists the dispute must be resolved between the companies and the TWU. He has also said that the government would not increase fares to offset the cost of granting the drivers' demands.
Despite the inconvenience to commuters, support for the drivers' actions is strong. The majority of letters to Adelaide's newspapers and comments made by stranded commuters in TV and radio "vox pops" have condemned the poor wages and conditions of the bus drivers. This mood is especially common following revelations that many state parliamentarians were taking advantage of loopholes in the system to obtain free vehicles.
From Â鶹´«Ã½ Weekly, July 30, 2003.
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