Bus company seeks mediation to head off strike

A FOUR-HOUR bus driver strike tomorrow is set to go ahead despite bus operator CDC Victoria applying for its pay dispute to be mediated by the national workplace tribunal.

CDC and the Transport Workers Union have been at loggerheads over the pay deal for more than 15 weeks.

The situation was brought to a head this week with a 24hour strike in Geelong.

The TWU say four other between 2pm and 6pm — proceeds.

CDC Victoria chief executive Nicholas Yap said the company applied to the Fair Work Commission on Tuesday to have the independent umpire to mediate the pay dispute.

“The application was lodged on July 10. We will be in discussion with the TWU with the assistance of the commission in coming days,” Mr Yap said.

The company will sit down with TWU representatives at Fair Work in Melbourne tomorrow to discuss a way forward.

The TWU is calling for a 5 per cent annual increase to wages and superannuation for three years.

But CDC has offered its workers a three-year average wage and superannuation increase of 2.66 per cent.

On Tuesday most CDC Victoria bus drivers in Geelong walked off the job to protest the offer.

The average full-time bus driver earns about $58,000 after tax, CDC workers have told the

Earlier this week Mr Yap said CDC and the TWU had agreed most EBA conditions.

“The only outstanding thing is the wage increase,” he said. “Our offer is higher than the last four years and we believe it reflects the important work our drivers do.

“The past four increases work out to an average of 2.34 per cent a year and the offer we’ve put forward on the average of the next three years is 2.66 per cent.”

The TWU say strikes can be avoided if CDC puts forward an acceptable pay offer.