Northern Beaches bus passengers will travel for free for anywhere up to a fortnight from Thursday, after drivers move to switch off Opal readers from in the latest escalation of industrial action against private operator Keolis.
From 12.01am on Thursday 18 June until 11.59pm on Thursday 2 July, most Opal readers on Region 8 services will be switched off, meaning passengers will not be charged a fare for the duration of the action.
The move is part of protected industrial action taken by the Rail, Tram and Bus Union (RTBU), which represents Keolis drivers, in an ongoing dispute over a new enterprise agreement. The union says the company has failed to offer drivers a fair deal, pointing to driver shortages, service cancellations and reliability issues that have affected the region.
As part of the latest action, some drivers will refuse to operate onboard systems used for Opal validation and real time tracking. Keolis says this will reduce passengers’ visibility of service delays, even though cancelled services will continue to show up in real time travel apps. Delays caused by traffic or other factors may not be visible without the tracking system running.
Not all drivers are expected to join the action, so some services will keep running as normal with Opal readers in use.
RTBU NSW Tram and Bus Division President Peter Grech said drivers had been left with little choice after months of unsuccessful negotiations.
“Northern Beaches commuters know better than anyone that the local bus network is not working the way it should.
“Services are regularly cancelled, buses are overcrowded and driver shortages continue to impact reliability across the region,” Mr Grech said.
“Bus drivers are the people on the frontline every day. They know exactly what’s causing these problems and they’ve been trying to work with the company to find solutions.
“Instead of listening to its workforce, Keolis Downer has chosen to ignore legitimate concerns about pay, conditions and the measures needed to attract and retain more drivers.
“The company cannot solve its staffing crisis while refusing to properly engage with the workers who keep the network running.”
Mr Grech said drivers had deliberately chosen action that would minimise disruption for passengers while still sending a clear message to the company.
“We understand commuters are already dealing with an unreliable bus network and we don’t want to make life harder for them. That’s why drivers have chosen an action that puts pressure on the company while delivering a benefit to passengers.
“For the next two weeks, commuters will be able to travel for free on Northern Beaches bus services.”
“For the next two weeks, commuters will be able to travel for free on Northern Beaches bus services.”
“We’ve given the company plenty of notice of this action, so there’s no reason why services shouldn’t run smoothly during the period of action.
“Keolis Downer can end this dispute at any time by returning to the bargaining table and genuinely engaging with its workforce.
However, Keolis Northern Beaches said it remained committed to reaching a fair and sustainable enterprise agreement and described the RTBU’s decision to escalate as disappointing.
In a media statement sent to Manly Observer, Keolis said it had not stepped away from the negotiating table at any stage, with the next bargaining meeting already locked in for 26 June, and that the operator was ready to meet “at any time” to reach a deal that supported both employees and the community.
“Our focus is on constructive discussions,” the statement read, calling on the RTBU to do the same.
Keolis disputed the union’s claim that the action would not be disruptive
“As part of RTBU’s latest action, some drivers may refuse to operate core onboard systems used for Opal card and other payment validation and real-time tracking of bus services,” the company said in a statement.
“This will reduce real-time visibility of services, which passengers rely on for journey planning, service certainty and live updates.
“While this RTBU action is presented as minimising disruption, it removes important systems that passengers rely on for real-time information and certainty when planning their journeys.”
Passengers are encouraged to plan ahead and check transportnsw.info or other official channels for the latest service updates while the action continues.
