Sydney Ferries workers are taking industrial action today, demanding fairer and more sustainable wages from private operator Transdev.
From 9am to 2pm, members of the Maritime Union of Australia (MUA) will stop work and have a mass members’ meeting as part of industrial action calling for a better Enterprise Agreement.
The action will impact ferry services across the Sydney network, including services operating to Manly, Circular Quay, Parramatta and other destinations.
MUA members are seeking a 5% wage increase, together with guaranteed annual increases in subsequent years that properly protect workers’ wages against inflation and the rising cost of living.
MUA Deputy Branch Secretary Paul Garrett said workers are demanding that Transdev recognise their contribution.
“Our members kept Sydney Ferries running throughout COVID, dealt with a fleet of 13 overseas-built and defect ridden vessels that were not fit for purpose, and have continued to work long and demanding hours to keep the public moving,” Mr Garrett said.
“They have always demonstrated their commitment to the job and to the travelling public, and they are now asking for a fair wage increase to catch up with the spiralling cost of living in this city,” he added.
“Workers are determined to see a mechanism put in place that will ensure their pay keeps pace with inflation.”
After the industrial action finishes at 2pm, Opal readers on Sydney Ferries will be switched off for the remainder of the day. Mr Garrett said industrial action is not something taken lightly by Sydney Ferries workers, but that ‘our members have been pushed to this point.’
Mr Garrett said the dispute also highlighted the fundamental problem of putting an essential public transport service in the hands of a private operator.
“Sydney Ferries are an essential public service and they should be publicly owned and publicly operated,” he said.
“The community should not have to rely on a privately owned and operated multinational company like Transdev to decide whether the local workers who operate Sydney’s iconic ferries deserve a decent wage.”
The MUA warned that further and potentially indefinite industrial action could follow if Transdev continues to refuse to make a serious offer.
