In short:
CDC bus drivers are striking today across Victoria. Wyndham, Sunshine, Geelong, and more face route disruptions. Drivers protest live at the Truganina depot over stalled pay talks.
Bus drivers are on strike across Victoria today as part of an ongoing enterprise bargaining dispute, with workers rallying outside the CDC Wyndham Depot on Leakes Road in Truganina.
Despite the cold, drivers are holding signs, talking to the media, and running a sausage sizzle to support each other and raise awareness.
Around 600 drivers employed by CDC Victoria have stopped work for 24 hours, with the strike beginning at 3am this morning and set to continue until early tomorrow.
The action is affecting public transport routes in Wyndham Vale, Sunshine, Tullamarine, Oakleigh, and regional centres including Geelong, Ballarat, and Mildura.
The strike is leaving some passengers stranded, including university students trying to get to exams. Compounding the issue, services on the Werribee train line are also being disrupted due to an equipment fault at Newport Station.
Trains are currently running from Werribee but are terminating at Newport, where passengers are being transferred to replacement buses for onward travel.
Driver and Union Delegate Jason Holmes says the strike is a last resort.
This is the second time drivers have taken strike action in recent weeks. On 30 May, more than 1,300 drivers from CDC and Dysons staged what the Transport Workers’ Union (TWU) called the largest bus strike in Victorian history. While Dysons has since made progress in negotiations, CDC drivers say their concerns remain unresolved.
