NSW: State Transit says bus and ferry services would continue

AAP General News (Australia)
12-16-1998
NSW: State Transit says bus and ferry services would continue

SYDNEY, Dec 16 AAP - Public bus and ferry services in Sydney and Newcastle would continue
to operate despite white collar depot staff walking off the job for 33 hours this afternoon.

The Australian Services Union (ASU) strike, involving about 450 staff including clerks and
supervisors, follows a dispute with State Transit management over an enterprise bargaining
agreement.

A State Transit spokesman tonight said the dispute does not affect bus drivers, ferry
masters or crews and these services would operate normally for the time being.

"Commuters will be able to get home tonight," he said in a statement.

"We also expect services to run tomorrow with few disruptions but a small number of
services may have to be cancelled later in the day."

He said State Transit was still negotiating with union officials this afternoon in an
effort to resolve outstanding claims when the union walked out.

However, the ASU has also threatened further stoppages over the Christmas holiday period if
no progress was made over its members claim for a six per cent pay rise.

ASU assistant New South Wales secretary for transport George Panigiris said negotiations
with the State Transit Authority broke down about 2.30 pm after a four-hour, unauthorised
stopwork meeting this morning.

"The meeting resolved to advise STA management that a pay increase of six per cent is being
sought, backdated to March 1, 1998, and, in support of this claim, members will take strike
action from 3 pm, December 16, until midnight December 17," he said.

Mr Panigiris said it appeared the STA was not prepared to move on its offer of a three per
cent rise as part of long-running enterprise bargain negotiation.

He said the full impact of the strike would be felt tomorrow morning when inspectors, whose
authority was needed to inspect buses before they left depots, would not be on the job.

Mr Panigiris said the ASU had asked Transport Minister Carl Scully to intervene in the
negotiations which had been taking place for about 11 months.

"Its only going to get worse. Weve got the New Year/Christmas period coming up and my
members are pretty irate so were going to see some major disruptions leading up to that
period.

The New South Wales opposition said the union had no right to inconvenience commuters.

"The opposition condemns the heavy-handed tactics being used by union members on the second
last day of school and just eight days before Christmas," coalition transport spokesman
Michael Photios said.

AAP jo/cm/sb/jnb/de

KEYWORD: TRANSIT NIGHTLEAD

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