11 August 2009

ACTION drivers once again revolting

| johnboy
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The Liberals’ Alistair Coe is taking a great deal of satisfaction from industrial upset in the ranks of the ACTION staff against their management.

Alistair is, however, too busy pointing figures and calling names to actually address the issues.

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All due respect to the students of Copeland College mind you. Certainly I wasn’t having a crack at the college, rather that Mr Coe looks like he is still in attendance and skips class to go the ACT Legislative Assembly instead.

LOL @ I find it hard to take a guy seriously who looks like he’s still in Year 11 at Copeland College.

I find it hard to take a guy seriously who looks like he’s still in Year 11 at Copeland College. But as has been said already here, what options is he offering as a solution to this? Its all well and good to churn out the Press Release using his buzz words, but unless he can actually put something forward as a solution and not just be a noise makker, then go back to the playground Alastair and let the grown ups do their work please.

Master_Bates9:45 am 12 Aug 09

poptop said :

I love that the dispute is with ‘management’ rather than the responsible Minister – which may be a first; but what really impresses me is the absence of calls for “Swift action”

Poptop – I agree whole heartedly

It is about time that people learnt that the ‘responsible minister’ is only the person who won the popularity contest, and not the person who actually does the work.

God some people are stupid.

I don’t want to have a go at Mr Coe, which seems to be a popular past time on this site, but it is so hard not to!

His press release seems to of been designed with the aim of winning buzz word bingo. He uses ‘families’ twice and ‘sustainable’ once in a press release on a petition by bus drivers!

I love that the dispute is with ‘management’ rather than the responsible Minister – which may be a first; but what really impresses me is the absence of calls for “Swift action”

I wouldn’t have chosen the ‘revolting’ word. Something about peasants stops me. But, it must be a bit exciting for the Libs when a solid ALP union starts staking a stand.

But politics aside, the union should have gone at this type of issue years ago. I don’t believe the drivers have been treated too well at least since 2006, and possibly before then.

astrojax said :

well he sort of can, in that he could have set out what should be done about it – you know, offered a policy; or even a solution! but no, all he does is point. we have the media for that.

I believe the matter is the same one that has been around for a few months regarding adequte rest time and facilities breaks for drivers. This would be a internal policy of ACTION and not an official policy of the government. So why would people expect Coe to be coming up with an alternative government policy? He and most other people would expect to the government to direct its department to negotiate to resolve the issue before it blows up and the people who are brave enough to try to catch a bus are left waiting for a bus that doesn’t come (more than the ususal anyway) when the drivers strike.

moneypenny26129:29 pm 11 Aug 09

Methinks Mr Coe confuses cause with effect, much in the manner of 19th century imperialists: ‘The natives are revolting. Let us shoot them!’

Actually, if you look harder, the bus drivers’ petition (which is not industrial action) seems to be about OH&S.

This not a surprise, since the Transport Workers Union is running a bit of a nationwide campaign on the issue of driver safety. This follows a spate of physical attacks on bus drivers and idiots throwing rocks or molotov cocktails at buses.

The RiotACT has reported some incidents here in Canberra in recent weeks.

Same lunacy currently going down on the buses in Perth (http://www.watoday.com.au/wa-news/bus-drivers-strike-over-violent-bashings-20090805-e9r1.html)
and Adelaide (http://www.news.com.au/adelaidenow/story/0,,25733506-2682,00.html)

Not sure whether ACTION’s OHS issues also include drunk driving, but…

Master_Bates8:37 pm 11 Aug 09

Does industrial upset actually need issues? Surely not!

Lets examine the fakts:

1. There is Management – Nasty Nasty Management
2. There are Workers – Trying to do the best thing for the community
3. There is the Union – Trying to screw management to get the best deal for the workers
4. There is the Travelling Public – Hmmm let me see… the last time I was on a bus, oh yes – it was when I had totalled my car in 1986. yes… Being on a bus was a PUNISHMENT… so the Travelling public want off the buses as soon as they can.

So – there are always issues – we just have to make them up.

Action….. Those are the memories… Civic bus stop at 10pm, waiting for the last bus, listening to the 14 year old girls saying that they will hold each others hair while they puke……Yep Thats why I drive.

51modelBloke8:30 pm 11 Aug 09

Coe claims the delivery of public transport is mediocre at best. Like he would know, what with his lifetime of experience, what is he 17 years old? What a waste..

well he sort of can, in that he could have set out what should be done about it – you know, offered a policy; or even a solution! but no, all he does is point. we have the media for that.

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