A staff vacancy rate of more than 12 per cent at Public Passenger Services at Parramatta is placing public safety at risk, according to the Public Service Association of NSW (PSA).
Acting PSA General Secretary Steve Turner said staff will walk off the job for an hour today to highlight how the shortage of resources is affecting the agency’s ability to conduct vital services such as taxi and hire car driver background checks and medical assessments.
Earlier this year, the Government transferred the function of bus safety regulator from Transport NSW to Roads and Maritime Services at Parramatta. However, no additional resources or budget were transferred.
“Staff at the Public Passenger Services Section in Parramatta are the latest public service workers to have hasty decisions made about changing their jobs, without the resources and planning to support them in carrying out their roles,” Mr Turner said.
“Public Passenger Services staff will strike today because they’ve been waiting more than 10 months for job vacancies to be filled – leaving the service with a more than 12% staff vacancy.
“The ongoing staff vacancies are placing community safety at risk, with less resources to conduct data matching with NSW police and a loss of assessment expertise.
“Staff are tired of waiting to hear when, or if, these jobs will be filled.
“This is another example of the NSW government slashing public service jobs without a plan for how a high-quality, safe service will be delivered to the community.
“The Public Service Association calls on Minister Duncan Gay to meet with the union and workers so staffing levels can be returned, safety restored and a quick resolution achieved,” Mr Turner said.