ACT to privatise public transport
By Francis Geraldson
CANBERRA — On August 8, a mass meeting of ACTION bus drivers, called by the Transport Workers Union, rejected an enterprise agreement that would reduce conditions and introduce three split shifts. Two days later, the Kate Carnell Liberal government announced it would privatise bus routes.
The ACT government claims the move will introduce "reforms and competition, and break the TWU hold on public transport". Public transport minister Brendan Smith told reporters, "the TWU doesn't run ACTION, we do".
Some commentators have noted that the arguments and tactics being used by the Liberals are similar to the federal government's tactics against the Maritime Union.
TWU secretary Trevor Santi told the Canberra Times, "some drivers now believe they should have accepted the enterprise bargaining agreement and a bit of a split in the ranks has developed".
However, the possibility that the government may move to privatise was put to drivers before they voted on the deal.
Tim Gooden, secretary of the ACT section of the Community and Public Sector Union, described the privatisation threat as part of a "plan to prevent workers organising in unions, making it easier to cut pay and conditions, while moving public money to the coffers of big business". The CPSU has pledged it full support to the bus drivers and their union.