Tasmanian commuters are facing potential bus service disruptions as drivers threaten strike action over a bitter pay dispute.
The Transport Workers’ Union, representing drivers working for foreign-owned Kinetic Group, has filed for industrial action and warned it will bring the state’s bus network to a halt unless wages improve.
The union claims Tasmania’s Kinetic drivers earn up to $6.39 per hour less than their counterparts at publicly-owned Metro for the same work.
The union says the gap widens further when compared with mainland bus drivers.
“Strike action is a last resort, but unfortunately these drivers have been pushed to their limits,” TWU Director of Organising Sam Lynch said.
“Kinetic bus drivers are shortchanged up to $250 each week for doing the exact same work at a different company. We want to see that gap gone completely.”
The dispute centres on negotiations for a new Enterprise Agreement that began late last year.
The union claims little progress has been made on core worker demands, particularly bridging the wage gap.
Lynch said the union would stop buses across Tasmania unless Kinetic and the Tasmanian government offered “real improvements” to wages and conditions.
“If Kinetic and the Tasmanian Government are serious about preventing service disruptions, they need to listen to workers’ concerns and come back to the table,” he said.
The union has urged both Kinetic and the government to present reasonable offers before any service interruptions occur.
Kinetic says it remains committed to negotiations and is working to reduce potential disruptions to regional communities and school networks.
“No strike can been called at this stage, and the results of the PABO and whether TWU members will be able to take any industrial action will not be known until 5 March,” Kinetic’s Executive General Manager (Tasmania) Graham Smith said.
“We remain committed to negotiations, including meeting with the Fair Work Commission Wednesday afternoon to try and avoid unnecessary industrial action.”
“We acknowledge the TWU’s claim that there are differences in pay between Kinetic and Metro Tasmania bus drivers in Tasmania. This gap exists within the funding framework that underpins private bus contracts in Tasmania.”
“We currently pass on 100% of the wage funding we receive from the Tasmanian Government directly to our drivers. Our offer sees us continue to pass on wage increases higher than what we’re funded, and we have offered additional wages above that funding to progress negotiations.”
