Stanhope, bus drivers prepare for showdown

[Buzz Killington]

BY GRAHAM DOWNIE
6/03/2009 1:00:00 AM
An industrial agreement which prevents ACTION compelling its 540 drivers to work at weekends is to be challenged by ACT Chief Minister Jon Stanhope.
Also now as minister responsible for buses, Mr Stanhope told The Canberra Times the failure of 28 services on Saturday illustrated the weakness of the system.

''It does not impress itself upon the public as a service they can depend upon,'' he said. ''It is something the Government, in discussion with the drivers, will seek to negotiate.''

The drivers' enterprise agreement is due to expire in April next year. Mr Stanhope said negotiations for a new agreement would begin about October.

Under the present agreement, ACTION could not even employ drivers specifically to work on weekends. So it had to depend on enough drivers volunteering to fill those shifts.

Mr Stanhope said all weekend work was based on overtime for drivers and transport officers and ACTION could not compel these employees to work.

For a public transport network with a seven-day-a-week service, depending on drivers filling weekend shifts voluntarily represented real difficulties ensuring all advertised services were covered.

This was illustrated on Saturday when, except for an industrial dispute, ACTION would have also operated special services to the Canberra Show and to the rugby union game between the Brumbies and Western Force. It seems many more Saturday services would have failed had those special services operated.

Under the enterprise agreement, drivers must be willing to work ''a reasonable amount of weekend details''. The agreement also provides that weekend work is voluntary. It is understood less than half of drivers work weekends.

Transport Workers Union organiser Klaus Pinkas said yesterday this matter had been raised a couple of years ago.

''We are always willing to talk about anything,'' he said.

But if weekend work was made compulsory, there would be a cost. He could understand philosophically why a seven-day-a-week service required a seven-day roster.

But having fewer than 60 per cent full-time drivers was not negotiable. One of ACTION's problems was a high turnover of part-time drivers who wanted full-time work.

He said of course he was troubled when a shortage of drivers meant services could not operate.

Mr Stanhope said the Government and ACTION acknowledged any service failure could be an inconvenience for passengers.

''ACTION makes every effort to minimise service failures or to provide additional assistance with interchange vehicles when available.'' Of the 28 services which failed on Saturday, 13 had been covered using field cars.

Under their present award, some ACTION drivers are understood to earn more than ACT school teachers. Their composite pay scale includes allowances for working evenings and arguably weekends, though Mr Pinkas said weekends were not included.

He did not believe Saturday's driver shortage had reflected an industrial dispute over the number of transport officers at rugby union games. He believed more Saturday services would have failed if the special services had also operated.

The industrial dispute had been resolved, with four transport officers to be allocated to the end of each rugby union game.

http://www.canberratimes.com.au/news/local/news/general/stanhope-bus-drivers-prepare-for-showdown/1451989.aspx?storypage=0

[Bus 400]

I would think making drivers work weekends is acceptable, most other transport operators have this in place already.

[The Love Guru]

No problems with working weekends, however if it is rostered that you must work the weekend and take days off during the week in leui, it will be mandatory that they bring back penalty rates for those drivers who will lose every 2nd weekend of their life!

[seat cover]

ACTION Drivers are on a flat rate? what happens when they work over 38 hours? is there still a penalty rate or flat rate? If they were on a 7 day roster they should only get penalty rate if its over 38 hours as with other operators and the coach industry

[The Love Guru]

Yes we are on a flat hourly rate. However this rate was negotiated WITHOUT weekends as mandatory. They will never get drivers to work rostered weekends with penaltys. Who wants to have 2 days off during the week, work all weekend and not get paid a cent more than if they worked mon-fri??

As for the coach industry, it is their own fault they don't get penaltys, as none of the drivers stick together and allow shonky operators to screw them down to where they can't make a living, just so the coach owner can make his payments. A minimum km rate for the coach industry is long overdue, however they say that is anti-competition.

[Bus 400]

Was working weekends brought up at the last negotiation?

Also would one reason for cutting weekend services right back was because they can't force drivers to work weekends?

Another thing is does everyone remember when all drivers except around 5 took the Bathurst 1000 Sunday off?

[seat cover]

Do you know if, when the Fed govt scraps napsa this year will this effect ACTION or will they stay on their enterprise agreement?

[The Love Guru]

We'll find out later in the year when we have negotiate a new agreement. Unless they govt are willing to put up a lot of extra $'s, forcing drivers to work weekends is a pipedream.

Also, love the reference to ACTION drivers earning more than school teachers. This might be true, but school teachers aren't working 60 hours a week, 48 weeks a year to get it! More shonky journalsim, seems that the art of spin is alive and well in the ACT. They should try dealing with unbiased fact. Its like saying my V8 car uses less fuel than a Toyota Hybrid, but failing to say that it drives 1/3 the km's.

[Bus 400]

Actually the shouldn't of mentioned that bus drivers get more then teachers or the teachers will start striking every month to get more then bus drivers (like they always do). Drivers do do ALOT more work then teachers as bus drivers don't get 12 weeks off a year.

[belcodriver]

Also, love the reference to ACTION drivers earning more than school teachers. This might be true, but school teachers aren't working 60 hours a week, 48 weeks a year to get it! More shonky journalsim, seems that the art of spin is alive and well in the ACT. They should try dealing with unbiased fact. Its like saying my V8 car uses less fuel than a Toyota Hybrid, but failing to say that it drives 1/3 the km's.

I reckon that line about the teachers would have come from Stanhope's office and could indicate that they will try and cut our pay with the new EBA. ACT budget predicted to be $200 million in deficit and all that.

[Bus 400]

How would they cut pay & make drivers work on weekends without there being an uproar & strikes by ACTION drivers & spend more money on increased off peak & weekend services without cutting back on the network like they have before.

The Rural Fire Service is also after an extra $3000 per 150 new members.