Industrial disputes always present communications challenges, regardless of what side you are on. This is an age-old tenet of industrial relations.
Each party to the dispute seeks to win hearts and minds to their position, or at very least provide a context for their actions. In the current bus strike, the union wants people to understand its reasons for a “work to rule”, and the bus company’s objective is having people understand the reasons for the lockout. Behind the scenes, the mediator is working feverishly (we hope) to achieve meaningful resolution.
If non-daily bus commuters are not disqualified from a judgment on the current state of play, I’d proffer the view that the involvement of the ARC’s Mike Lee and now his “puppet state”, ARTA, are singularly unhelpful. Their incantations over penalties and dire threats of loss of contract would make lesser folk wonder why we have the processes of employment law, including a special authority, court and mediation service.
Lee is transparent in that he wants to return bus services to full public ownership – Lord forbid – and a role in the Super City. ARTA will no doubt fall in behind. Another to get into this circus ring has been Cameron Brewer, but his motivation is no doubt the interests of Newmarket retailers.
As a contributor to the daily bus subsidy, I say let’s leave resolution to the parties involved and the employment disputes processes created to assist them.
That is of course unless Lee and Brewer are suggesting their respective organisations are willing to chip in by making up what the bus company doesn’t want to pay.
Disclosure: the writer is not a regular bus user.
I have a blended family, a blended cat family. For a whole raft of legacy reasons I’ve ended up playing den-mother to four cats, which is odd really because I’m not that much of a fan.