Wacom Bamboo Pad CTH-300 using wacom driver from package xf86-input-wacom-0.22.1-2.1.2.x86_64 on opensuse 13.1 kernel 3.11.10-25-desktop.
Following plugin or restart, the touch part of the pad won't work until I click on the button. The pen works fine (& buttons, obviously).
Could you please try compiling and installing the newly-released input-wacom-0.27.0 kernel backports driver (instructions) and reporting back if the situation has changed? That release should support the Bamboo Pad properly.
No news is good news :)