The government estimates that almost all bus drivers in the Hills District in Sydney’s north-west were on duty,while 95 per cent of drivers turned up for work in Hornsby and 85 per cent in Sutherland.
However,in Sydney’s inner west,including Strathfield and Sydney Olympic Park,only 35 per cent of drivers were on duty,and in Liverpool,Fairfield and Parramatta it was just 30 per cent,the government said.
Several hundred drivers gathered in Martin Place in central Sydney on Monday morning before marching along Macquarie Street,calling for improved pay and conditions across bus contract regions.
Transport Workers’ Union state secretary Richard Olsen estimated that 2000 bus drivers had taken part in Monday’s strike,and said he could not rule out further action unless more equitable conditions were negotiated for Sydney’s bus network.
“We can never rule out further industrial action. We may have to do this again – that will be up to our membership to decide,” he said.
Olsen said the state government needed to come to the negotiating table and accept responsibility. “They have got a real interest and obligations to the workforce in this industry,” he said.
NSW Transport Minister David Elliott said it was not up to the government to fix the workplace dispute.