Quick and collective action by coach captains at Rottnest Island has saved their jobs.

Coach Captains are employed by the Rottnest Island Authority (RIA) to drive the tour buses and provide an informative commentary about Rottnest Island to local and overseas visitors to the Island. Anyone who has visited Rottnest has probably seen our ASU members driving the buses - and probably been on the tour.

In November 2007, the RIA informed employees about plans that would mean the workers would lose their jobs. While lots of Western Australians were planning happy, summer holidays at Rottnest Island, the RIA was intending to outsource the tour bus and charter operations.

ASU Delegates, Steve Archer, Ross Healey and Howard Cutter immediately called a meeting of union members and the Coach Captains resolved to be Active, Strong and United (ASU) in their campaign to save their jobs.

In December, the Coach Captains met with CEO, Paolo Amaranti in a final attempt to resolve the dispute before considering what collective action would be needed to get management to acknowledge that the privatisation of the Rottnest Island tour bus service was simply not on.

At this meeting, Paolo Amaranti announced that he would not proceed with the out-source of the tour bus service and that the RIA would develop a business plan to keep the service in-house in the future. He also committed to make all temporary contract positions permanent.

ASU Delegate, Ross Healey summed up the reason for their great success: "We are only a small group but this shows we really can move mountains. It just took a strong, united, collective group of workers working together with dedicated and passionate union staff for us all to win".

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