Several hundred Sydney Ferries workers held a mass meeting at Circular Quay on September 2 to show their determination to achieve a fair pay rise from their employer, private operator Transdev. The workers, who are members of the Maritime Union of Australia (MUA), went on strike from 9am to 2pm that day as part of an escalating industrial campaign for an improved Enterprise Agreement.
Ferry workers are seeking a 5% wage increase, with guaranteed annual increases in subsequent years to protect wages against inflation and the rising cost-of-living.
MUA Sydney deputy branch secretary Paul Garrett said workers had repeatedly "gone above and beyond" to keep the ferry network operating and are now 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,” Garrett said.
“Workers 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.”
Garrett said Transdev had so far failed to put a serious wage proposal on the table. “Workers are determined to see a mechanism put in place that will ensure their pay keeps pace with inflation.
“Sydney Ferries workers will not sign off on an agreement that whittles away their purchasing power year after year while the cost of living keeps going up.”
The MUA said it regretted the disruption to commuters, but placed responsibility for the industrial action squarely with Transdev’s failure to reach a fair agreement.
“Sydney Ferries workers do not take industrial action lightly, particularly when they know it affects the travelling public,” Garrett said. “But our members have been pushed to this point. They are prepared to escalate this campaign until Transdev realises that its workforce deserves a fair deal.”
As a gesture of goodwill to commuters affected by the morning’s stoppage, Opal readers on Sydney Ferries were switched off from 2pm for the remainder of the day, allowing passengers to travel on the ferry network without charge.
Garrett said the dispute 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.
“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.
MUA national secretary Jake Field told the meeting at Circular Quay that "Transdev takes a $1.3 billion bill from NSW taxpayers, and also gouges huge profits out of its workers' wages”.
“The 12,700 national members of the MUA stand in solidarity with you in your important struggle."
Garrett told the meeting: "It's been 442 days since the last stoppage by Sydney Ferries workers. We don't take this action lightly. The fight escalates from today. You deserve a fair and reasonable wage and conditions agreement.
"We have sent a clear message to Transdev and the NSW Labor government. Privatisation has failed the public of NSW. The privatised Sydney bus service is in crisis too," Garrett said.
MUA Sydney branch secretary Paul Keating told the meeting that the workers were sending a message to Transdev that they would not put up with unfair pay and conditions any longer. "This is what workers' power is!" he said.
Other delegates spoke about the importance of unity and solidarity among the workers, and the need to remain strong in their campaign.
A message of solidarity was sent from National Tertiary Education Union members on strike at the University of Sydney that day.
A delegation of Electrical Trades Union members marched from its nearby conference to support striking workers. They were greeted with cheers, and the chant: "When I say union, you say power! Union! Power!"
The workers joined together in their longstanding chorus, "MUA! Here to stay!" and,"When workers' rights are under attack. What do we do? Stand up, fight back!"
