Latest news with #FairWorkCommission
Sydney Morning Herald
a day ago
- Business
- Sydney Morning Herald
This one union must not railroad the deal to end Sydney's train chaos
A territorial brawl within the ranks of train unions is now threatening the resolution of their protracted and disruptive pursuit of a pay rise that has played havoc with Sydney's train system and damaged the NSW economy for so many months that any lingering sympathy for their cause has evaporated and turned into anger. The powerful Electrical Trades Union has baulked at signing an agreement that most believed would finally end the strikes and other actions that, since last September, have caused considerable anxiety for people who rely on rail services not just to get to work but to keep medical appointments. The union campaign not only threatened major events, including New Year's Eve, but in some instances, saw passengers left on crowded platforms or in packed carriages for hours in the middle of summer with little regard for their personal safety or the dangers they faced. Unions had been seeking a risible 32 per cent pay rise over four years and a 35-hour working week. The Minns government opened with a 9.5 per cent rise over three years before offering the Combined Rail Unions 12 per cent, plus back pay backdated to May 2024. On Friday in the Fair Work Commission, the Rail, Tram and Bus Union agreed to the government's offer. It was cheers all around, with the state government celebrating the in-principle agreement as a win, claiming it just needed to be voted on by union members. Now the settlement of the damaging dispute is jeopardised by the inability of the unions to get their act together. Loading The ETU is reportedly threatening to block the deal, apparently unhappy with the way maintenance and engineering employees were categorised in the proposed agreement. A recommendation from members of the Fair Work Commission, including president Justice Adam Hatcher, SC, described the issue as an 'apparently insurmountable impediment to the parties reaching a successful outcome' in their bargaining. 'We infer that the dispute issue has at its heart, at least in part, a demarcation dispute between the ETU and other unions which represent maintenance and engineering employees.' The ETU and state government will return to the commission on Monday to try to resolve the sticking point.
Daily Mail
3 days ago
- Business
- Daily Mail
Commuters breathe a sigh of relief as rail union finally agrees to pay deal
An industrial battle that has at times brought Australia's largest rail network to a halt is finally over. The NSW government and the state's rail union struck a deal in the Fair Work Commission late on Friday, with commuters set to be spared further industrial action that has plagued the network for almost a year. The deal gets the rail workers a 12 per cent pay rise over three years, with back pay also included. The Rail, Tram and Bus Union had initially sought a 32 per cent pay rise over four years and a 35-hour working week, while the government had offered a 15 per cent figure over the same time frame. Transport Minister John Graham claimed the result as a win for his government, labelling it a 'fair and reasonable' wage rise they had promised to deliver. 'This agreement will bring relief to the disruption from protected industrial action that a million daily rail commuters have been forced to endure while just trying to get to work and get around,' he said. 'This process has strained the patience of train passengers ... this much-needed reset allows us to implement improvements for passengers with the full support of the rail workforce and unions.' The government said the deal delivered technological improvements that would boost recovery times when on-track incidents affected the operation of the system. 'For example, train crews will support the introduction of a new digital disruption management system that will end the current practice that relies on a manual system of phone calls and paper-based instructions during recovery from an incident,' a government statement read. After a number of industrial actions forced mass train delays and cancellations, the Fair Work Commission suspended the union from taking any more until July 1 before the agreement was struck on Friday. Tension between the parties had increasingly grown, with former transport minister Jo Haylen repeatedly likening the RTBU to a boa constrictor for its ability to 'strangle' and 'squeeze the life out of the network'.
Perth Now
3 days ago
- Business
- Perth Now
Sydney Trains pay deal struck
The long-running pay dispute between the NSW government and train unions, that led to months of on-off chaos for commuters, appears to have been resolved. The government and unions on Friday agreed in the Fair Work Commission to a 12 per cent pay rise over three years. The Rail, Tram, and Bus Union and the Electrical Trades Union had been seeking a 32 per cent pay rise over four years, while the government offered a 9.5 per cent rise over three years. 'This agreement will bring relief to the disruption from protected industrial action that a million daily rail commuters have been forced to endure while just trying to get to work and get around,' Transport Minister John Graham said. The dispute led to a series of industrial action, that disrupted travel for millions since last September. The NSW government has come to an agreement with train unions over the long running pay dispute. NewsWire / Damian Shaw Credit: News Corp Australia The deal ends protected industrial action by the Combined Rail Unions and allows Sydney Trains and NSW TrainLink to focus on improving reliability across the network, the government said in a statement. The proposed Enterprise Agreement, facilitated by the Fair Work Commission, delivers rail workers a 12 per cent pay rise over three years plus back pay. It will deliver agreement on a number of technology-based solutions to improve recovery times when incidents on the tracks bring the system to a halt. For example, train crews will support the introduction of a new digital disruption management system that will end the current practice that relies on a manual system of phone calls and paper-based instructions during recovery from an incident. The unions and government have also reached agreement to move to a streamlined process for consulting on new fleet, systems and infrastructure projects. NSW Transport Minister John Graham has hailed the breakthrough on a deal with rail unions. NewsWire / Nikki Short Credit: News Corp Australia Mr Graham said the bitter dispute had 'strained the patience of train passengers'. 'But in finalising this deal we have made a very important investment in reliability,' he said. 'This much-needed reset allows us to implement improvements for passengers with the full support of the rail workforce and unions. 'We said we would sign off on a fair and reasonable wage rise for our rail workers that protects taxpayer's money, and that is exactly what we have done. 'I want to thank the commuting public for their patience as we got this agreement done.' More to come
9 News
3 days ago
- Business
- 9 News
Bitter NSW rail dispute over as government, unions strike pay deal
Commuters across NSW can breathe a sigh of relief after the state government struck a pay deal with the combined rail unions, ending the bitter dispute that repeatedly brought the train network to its knees. The warring parties reached an agreement this afternoon in the Fair Work Commission, under which workers will receive a 12 per cent pay rise over three years. While an increase on the government's initial offer of a 9.5 per cent raise, the final figure is well short of the 32 per cent the combined unions had argued for and has sparked anger from the Electrical Trades Union. Train delays for afternoon passengers due to industrial action by NSW Rail workers leaving commuters waiting for the reduced services. Photo taken at Chatswood Station 15th January 2025 Photo: Steven Siewert (Steven Siewert) The agreement will put an end to the bitter negotiations and strikes that caused major disruptions to the Sydney rail network and at one point even threatened to lead to the cancellation of the city's New Year's Eve fireworks.
ABC News
3 days ago
- Business
- ABC News
NSW rail unions strike 12 per cent pay rise over three years plus back pay in deal with NSW government
The train unions have struck a pay rise for workers in what the NSW government says will bring an end to the industrial dispute that has crippled the network. Under the agreement, facilitated by the Fair Work Commission, rail workers are set to get "a 12 per cent pay rise over three years plus back pay". Minister for Transport John Graham acknowledged that the protracted and stop-start negotiations had caused disruption and put a strain on commuters, but said what had been agreed upon was "fair and reasonable". "This agreement will bring relief to the disruption from protected industrial action that a million daily rail commuters have been forced to endure while just trying to get to work and get around," he said in a statement on Friday evening. "This much-needed reset allows us to implement improvements for passengers with the full support of the rail workforce and unions."
