Bus drivers in the ACT have agreed to incentives to encourage full-time drivers to work at the weekend, which the government said would allow for more Saturday services.
Permanent drivers will get a 15 per cent penalty rate after driving six weekend shifts, with the government to offer more weekend buses from April.
Staff at Transport Canberra agreed to the new incentives for permanent bus drivers working weekend shifts and a new clause committed the drivers and the government to further consider rostering arrangements.
The government said 67 per cent of eligible staff voted on the agreement, with 95 per cent of those voting in favour.
Transport Minister Chris Steel said the agreement included additional incentives to recognise the skill of staff who would transition to work on the zero-emissions bus fleet.
"A new electric vehicle technology allowance has been added and is intended to be paid to Transport Canberra maintenance staff in recognition of active participation in training and instruction to attain the skills to safely integrate, operate, and maintain electric fleet vehicles within the Transport Canberra operational fleet," Mr Steel said.
"Importantly, a new clause for the weekend reliability trial has been added. The trial provides permanent drivers, who complete six or more weekend details per year, a 15 per cent penalty on all hours from the seventh detail."
Mr Steel said this, alongside a successful recruitment drive, had given the government confidence it could offer more frequent bus services on Saturdays.
"There has been a significant increase in the use of weekend public transport services by Canberrans. Transport Canberra will now prepare a new weekend timetable to begin in April of this year, focusing on more frequent route bus services on Saturday afternoons to meet the demand," he said.
Ben Sweaney from the Transport Workers' Union said: "The union and members welcome the result. We're very eager to work with the government and Transport Canberra to roll out the new conditions and provisions under the agreement."
The government had originally offered a 13 per cent penalty rate to drivers who worked a prescribed number of weekend shifts. The new deal includes a two-year weekend reliability trial.
The union's members at Transport Canberra voted against weekend incentives in May 2023, prompting Mr Steel to vow the government would continue negotiations to strike a deal on weekend work.
The proposed incentives at that time included a 15 per cent penalty paid on all work for drivers who drove 12 weekend days in a year, along with a weekend worker classification.
"Since 1995, when the incentives were removed for drivers to work on the weekend, there have been availability issues for drivers that has meant that it is very difficult to increase the number of services delivered on a weekend reliably," Mr Steel said at the time.
