The Sydney rail strike will go ahead on Monday after a last-minute deal to avoid strike action fell through
.jpg)
The Sydney rail strike will go ahead on Monday after a last-minute deal to avoid strike action fell through.
Sydney and NSW Trains management made an offer for the Rail, Tram and Bus Union (RTBU) NSW in a bid to stop the industrial action.
Less than 6% of the RTBU’s 6,000 members in NSW voted in favour of calling off industrial action in a text message poll.
The union had been locked in negotiations with Sydney Trains and the NSW Government for about a fortnight.
The deal put to the union included an annual pay increase of 2.75%, a $1000 bonus for each employee along with free travel passes being extended.
However, the RTBU wanted staff to have a 6% pay increase every year for four years.
Alex Claassens, NSW secretary of the RTBU, said members were hoping the offer would be much higher.
"Unfortunately my members have overwhelmingly decided that the offer on the table is nowhere near good enough and our industrial action will continue so the overtime ban will commence tomorrow and we will also take place on Monday as we talked about," he said.
The government will be forced to implement the equivalent of a Saturday timetable on Thursday, resulting in the number of train services being slashed by more than two-fifths (or 1300 to 1600).
Some companies have announced they are letting staff work from home or paying for taxis, while others have suggested workers take a day of annual leave.
The NSW government has lodged paperwork in Fair Work to stop the strike.
Sydney and NSW Trains management made an offer for the Rail, Tram and Bus Union (RTBU) NSW in a bid to stop the industrial action.
Less than 6% of the RTBU’s 6,000 members in NSW voted in favour of calling off industrial action in a text message poll.
The union had been locked in negotiations with Sydney Trains and the NSW Government for about a fortnight.
The deal put to the union included an annual pay increase of 2.75%, a $1000 bonus for each employee along with free travel passes being extended.
However, the RTBU wanted staff to have a 6% pay increase every year for four years.
Alex Claassens, NSW secretary of the RTBU, said members were hoping the offer would be much higher.
"Unfortunately my members have overwhelmingly decided that the offer on the table is nowhere near good enough and our industrial action will continue so the overtime ban will commence tomorrow and we will also take place on Monday as we talked about," he said.
The government will be forced to implement the equivalent of a Saturday timetable on Thursday, resulting in the number of train services being slashed by more than two-fifths (or 1300 to 1600).
Some companies have announced they are letting staff work from home or paying for taxis, while others have suggested workers take a day of annual leave.
The NSW government has lodged paperwork in Fair Work to stop the strike.
