Rally against transport privatisation

Earlier this week over 100 bus driver shifts, and 1000 bus trips were cancelled across regions 6, 7, 8 and 9. To add insult to injury, the Premier then fronted the media to tell the public that RTBU members were on strike and “playing politics”, blaming workers for the critical understaffing levels.

Commuters and RTBU bus drivers are bearing the brunt of the NSW Government’s failed privatisation agenda.

Not only has it resulted in services and routes being axed, and bus stops being cut, but it has also meant operators can’t attract and retain bus drivers, forcing them to cut even more services every day.

In the Eastern Suburbs alone, we’ve seen 31 bus routes and 51 stops axed since 2018. Public transport in the Eastern Suburbs is in shambles with less frequent trips, longer journey times and often multiple changes per trip.

That’s why there’s a commuter-organised rally tomorrow, Thursday 2 February, in Randwick. Local commuters and workers are simply fed up with the NSW Government’s attacks on our buses, so they’re joining together to make some noise. Commuters will be joined by local MPs, UnionsNSW and RTBU representatives standing together to support bus drivers and the community. If you are not on shift tomorrow and available, we encourage members to attend.

Will you join us at the rally against privatisation?

Save Our Buses rally

11am, Thursday 2 February

High Cross Park, Randwick

All welcome. Please come in unpaid time.

Continuing the fight against privatisation

The botched privatisation policy of the NSW Liberal Government has only been a benefit to private interest – at the cost of what’s best for commuters and bus drivers.

The NSW Parliamentary inquiry into bus privatisation released a report late last year, revealing that bus privatisation continues to create chaos not only for commuters, but for bus drivers who are suffering at the hands of two-tiered workplaces (such as those members currently fighting for Same Job, Same Pay in Region 6). 

It concluded that the best course of action is for the NSW government to reverse the privatisation of our buses and return it back into public hands. 

We’ve known that bus privatisation doesn’t work. No one knows this better than our members and commuters, who have both suffered.

We hope to see as many people as possible at the snap rally tomorrow.

Can’t make it tomorrow? There’s also an online action telling the Government to accept the findings of the report, and adopt its recommendations. https://ourtransport.org.au/fix-bus-privatisation/

Commuters and bus drivers deserve better. Let’s continue to remind the government of that.