Northern Beaches bus maintenance employees say they are fed up with work and pay conditions ahead of a planned strike tomorrow, 11 April, 2025.
Up to 60 workers will be picketing from Mona Vale, Brookvale and North Sydney bus depots – known as region 8 – run by the company Keolis Downer which have been operating these services since NSW Transports privatisation of the industry in 2021.
Manly Observer was approached with this information by bus maintenance employees who wish to stay anonymous. The strikes will run from 6 am to 9am and then again at 1 pm to 4 pm on Friday.
Bus drivers will not be striking, so most transport on the Northern Beaches and Lower North Shore will run as usual. But, staff have said buses cannot leave the front gates unless they are fit for service, and with around 20-30 buses across depots being booked per day with issues, there’s a chance that morning services such as school runs could be affected.
Work commuters on the bus or in traffic could also experience delays in the morning and afternoon if a bus breaks down. Region 8 maintenance employees say they will not be attending to repair any broken-down buses during those times.
However, Managing Director for Northern Beaches Keolis Downer, Mark Dunlop said commuters shouldn’t need to plan ahead as “alternative options” will be put in place to address any issues that could arise.
“There’s stoppages tomorrow. We don’t expect the action to cause any major disruptions. Our priority, naturally, will be on school services, that is always the highest priority,” Mr Dunlop told Manly Observer.
“We do have some other initiatives in place to address any normal issues that happen on a bus that could stop them going out.”
It was clarified these options were reliable and could also assist if a bus breaks-down on the road, but Mr Dunlop preferred not to comment on what these alternatives entailed.
The strikes follow a constant flow of public transport delays for the Northern Beaches public as 83 articulated Volvo buses were temporarily removed from service for repairs last year.
With over half of these buses previously operating in Region 8 paired with a driver shortage, Northern Beaches residents have unfortunately come to expect long lines to their buses during peak times.
Maintenance workers say they are striking for equal pay, claiming to be the most underpaid maintenance staff for NSW buses, despite being the primary public transport service on the Northern Beaches.
Maintenance staffs’ enterprise bargaining agreements (EBA) expired on January 1st. Negotiations allegedly started ahead of the contract ending in September but were met with silence.
Since then multiple negotiations have ensued with staff saying the private company only offered the Wage Price Index (WPI) which rose 0.7 per cent this quarter.
Keolis Downer say they have EBAs which roll over from when the previous government entity Transport NSW operated the facilities and that the benefits staff receive from their employment conditions outweigh their wage concerns.
“It’s a headline that I’m sure some people will use. It’s always subjective,” Mr Dunlop said, referring to Region 8 maintenance staff saying they were paid among the lowest for their jobs in the state, “You can either look at a headline hourly rate, or you can look at that rate plus all the conditions that you get as part of the agreement, I think you need to put it in context and not separate the two.
“Certainly we value our people, and we believe we put a very fair offer on the table for consideration, and we continue to negotiate in good faith.”
The Australian Manufacturing Workers’ Union (AMWU) say there is a 17 per cent pay gap compared to other people doing the same job across the state.
“Our members are fighting for pay parity with people doing the same job across New South Wales. Workers at Keolis Downer are earning $41 an hour, whereas other companies are offering $48… which makes a real difference when it comes to putting food on the table,” AMWU Organiser Victoria Harper told Manly Observer in a statement.
“Our members at Keolis Downer are just as skilled as bus technicians anywhere else, and they work just as hard. It’s time that their wages reflect this.”
Another reason for the strike is maintenance employees claiming Keolis Downer are refusing to buy genuine parts for the buses on-site and are instead providing “aftermarket” parts that aren’t up to scratch.
The private company have completely refuted this claim stating they buy all their parts either straight from the source or from reputable suppliers.
“We have a wide range of parts that come from suppliers. I’m at a loss to even comment on that one, a MAN engine or a Volvo engine are parts from MAN or Volvo… air conditioning, is from the OEM. The engine parts are from the OEM. Brakes, you have some different options, but they’re always from reputable suppliers,” Mr Dunlop said.
“I absolutely refute that claim. We pride ourselves on safety. We pride ourselves on putting the busses out there in the best order, they are independently inspected by Road Maritime services twice a year, that involves going over a pit, a shaker test, a brake test, you name it. It tests absolutely everything they maintain to a high standard.”
Manly Observer confirmed that the maintenance of all buses falls on the entity operating the facilities and not the State Government, who still own the sites.
