‘Historic': Sydney rail strikes end as unions vote to accept pay rise

News.com.au

2 days ago

Rail unions have voted to accept the NSW government's pay offer, ending the bitter dispute and giving Sydneysiders a break following months-long widespread chaos on the train network.
On Saturday at 4pm, 11,735 union members participated in the vote, with 92 per cent voting in favour of the government's proposed 12 per cent pay rise over the next three years.
The unions initially sought a 32 per cent pay rise over three years and a 35-hour working week, which was met by a proposed 9.5 per cent rise over the same time frame.
The Electrical Trade Unions (ETU) was the only union to not back the proposed Enterprise Agreement, with the Rail, Tram and Bus Union (RTBU) endorsing the proposed pay increase.
The agreements signals an end to the industrial action that triggered pandemonium for Sydney commuters for several months, with hundreds of services cancelled or delayed since September, leaving them stranded or crammed inside crowded carriages for hours on end.
The Fair Work Commission ordered the unions halt their industrial action in February, with the order lifted from July 1.
NSW Minister for Transport said the agreement would offer a sigh of relief to commuters.
'We want to acknowledge the period of protected industrial action was drawn-out and took its toll on rail passengers,' he said.
'Resolution of the matter will now allow Sydney Trains and NSW TrainLink to focus solely on improving reliability and services for those more than a million passengers who use the network each day.
'We will continue to invest record amounts into improved maintenance and work to our plan to lift reliability.'
Despite not reaching the initially proposed figure, the RTBU said the agreement was 'historic' and an 'epic effort' from the 'bargaining team:
'This result is a powerful demonstration of the strength, unity, and determination of RTBU members in the face of a very difficult and, at times, exhausting campaign, you stood together, and it made all the difference,' the statement read.
'Congratulations to every member who participated in actions, attended meetings, had conversations with their colleagues, stood strong, and demanded better.
'We will now move to the next steps of formal approval,' the union added.