Our members achieved so much last year, from new laws on the books in the NSW Parliament to the opening of long-fought for permanent rest facilities, 2025 was a year that we won’t forget. Across buses, waste, road transport and aviation, we have many wins to look back on and be proud of, a continuation of the momentum we’ve been building for many years now.
As we move past Easter and further into 2026 however, it’s important to look forward and focus on the fights of the here-and-now. The 2026 campaign is well and truly here Australia-wide, and our sub-branch has an important role to play to put all of us in a good position for 2029.
safety and dignity non-negotiable
Here at the sub-branch, our bus members are grabbing the bull by the horns and have worked relentlessly to ensure the crisis in buses is being heard far and wide. As I continue to say in this journal, our position is that safety and dignity at work are non-negotiable, and the crisis in pay and conditions for bus drivers has reached its breaking point.
Twice in just the last few months, bus members have made their voices heard. At our landmark bus industry roundtable at the NSW Parliament, Delegates sat at the same table as senior politicians and bus company leaders and told them to their faces what they face every day, and the crisis facing the industry. These same bus companies were forced to admit to the government ministers that the TWU has the story right not only on the state of the industry, but how to fix it.
And just recently, Delegates stood with us as we submitted a historic Multi-Employer Bargaining Application to the Fair Work Commission, using the Albanese Government’s new laws to work towards setting minimum standards for bus drivers together for the first time in decades.
CRUCIAL FEW MONTHS
The next few months will be crucial as we take our claims to the wider public and prepare to hold the government accountable as the client in the bus industry. We are working to lift everyone’s pay and conditions from among the worst in Australia, and to put everyone in the driver’s seat for 2029. That will take solidarity and relentless effort, but I know our members are more than capable – they’ve won victories before and can do so again.
Across the transport industry, we’re already seeing the momentum of 2026 pay off. In waste, Remondis St Marys workers achieved a historic 18.25% increase + more after standing together in negotiations, bringing them up to the standards we expect in waste.
I also joined our Majors and Retail Delegates this month for Round 3 of bargaining, where Delegates voted to endorse their claim, and took action against Amazon.
I’m looking forward to continuing to work with you all as we hold employers and clients to account this year, as we fight for Our Roads, Our Skies, Our Future.
Robert Rasmussen • Sydney Central West Sub-branch