Latest news with #RailTramBusUnion
ABC News
4 days ago
- Business
- ABC News
Two days of free train travel for NSW after government, unions sign pay deal
Rail commuters will travel for free over two days as a peace offering from the NSW government after months of disruption due to its stoush with the unions over pay. On Saturday afternoon the government signed a three-year deal with the rail unions with 92 per cent of workers voting in favour of the new enterprise agreement. Rail, Tram and Bus Union NSW secretary Toby Warnes described the result as "truly a majority", saying the voter turnout from members was a "historic high". He said the period of bargaining had felt long but what has been agreed upon was "something that people were really quite happy with". "But we're really glad we've been able to get this bargain agreement over the line, now we can carry on providing service to the people of New South Wales as our members love to do every day." Under the agreement workers will get a 12 per cent pay rise over three years plus back pay, they will also see an improvement to their conditions and technological advances. Sydney Trains and NSW TrainLink will also become one entity. From Thursday July 31 and Friday August 1, metro and regional train trips across the NSW will cost nothing. Minister for Transport John Graham told ABC News it was a great result for rail commuters, adding it would allow for further investment into the reliability of the network. "We know this has been a big impact on people, we know it's been a huge inconvenience — that disruption is over," Mr Graham said. Four rail unions and the state government have been locked in an ongoing pay dispute for months. The unions had been demanding better pay and working conditions, with negotiations often clouded by multiple rounds of industrial action and legal proceedings. "These enterprise agreements have to run through the processes," Mr Graham said. "This is half the time it took to land the last agreement but for commuters it has been a big disruption." Last year, doubt was cast over whether Sydney's iconic New Year's Eve firework celebrations would go ahead, after the union threatened to bring the city's rail network to a halt. On several occasions, the network faced complete shutdowns, including four days of strike action in November last year. Saturday's landmark agreement, which is now submitted for formal approval with the Fair Work Commission, will last for three years. "We'll work really closely over these three years with the workforce, and I hope we're on good terms as we come to the next agreement," Mr Graham said. "But of course, rail workers at the end of this agreement will have the chance to renegotiate their pay and conditions." Sydney Trains chief executive Matt Longland said it was a win for staff but an even bigger win for the travelling public. "With this certainty, Sydney Trains can resume its focus on delivering a safe, reliable, and disruption-free service," Mr Longland said. "Passengers can have renewed confidence that the trains they rely on will be there when they need them." The government hopes passengers will use the fare-free period to support local businesses hit hard by the industrial action. "Some of these businesses took a big hit during the period of disruption and they deserve a shot in the arm," Mr Graham said. Opal gates will be switched off for the 48-hour period at all Sydney trains, NSW TrainLink, Sydney Metro and Airport Line services. Buses, ferries and light rail trips will still come at a cost.
ABC News
23-06-2025
- ABC News
Sunnybank man charged with assault over alleged attack on bus driver in South Brisbane
A man has been charged with assault after allegedly attacking a Brisbane bus driver. Video footage of the incident shows a man in a green tracksuit in an altercation with the bus driver near the middle doors of the vehicle. The bus driver appeared to attempt to push the man out of the doors, before the man punched the driver in the face several times. State Secretary of the Rail Tram and Bus Union, Tom Brown, said the 46-year-old driver had injuries to his ear and face following the alleged attack. Police allege the incident occurred on a bus in South Brisbane just before 6pm on Friday, and said a report was made on Saturday afternoon. A 21-year-old man was charged with assault occasioning bodily harm on Monday morning after being arrested in Sunnybank on Sunday night. Brisbane Lord Mayor Adrian Schrinner spoke out about the incident on social media. "Violence against our hard-working bus drivers and other frontline workers should never be tolerated," he said.
News.com.au
31-05-2025
- Business
- News.com.au
‘Intense' discussions, ‘complex negotiations' sparked NSW government's deal with rail unions after lengthy dispute
A 'complex negotiation process' and 'intense' discussions paved the way for a deal between the NSW government and rail unions, which could improve the response to disruptions similar to last week's live wire train chaos. 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. The dispute led to a series of industrial action, that disrupted travel for millions since last September. 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 on Friday. NSW Transport Minister John Graham said there had been 'intense' discussions with the rail unions in the lead up to the deal. 'We have had good, if intense discussions with the rail unions,' Mr Graham said at a press conference on Saturday. 'We're in a position to lift pay and conditions of rail workers, but also deliver to the public.' A number of the changes in the new agreement could make a real difference in the response to disruptions such as last week's incident where a live wire fell on top of a train in Strathfield. This includes consultation clauses and the roll out of new technology across the network that 'just simply isn't in place'. 'It gives the hope that should something like this happen again, right in the dead centre of the network — the worst place possible — the ability to recover the train network way more rapidly would be there now,' Mr Graham said. 'That would make a big difference to our ability to deal with disruptions on the network.' He added routine maintenance would be easier without constant industrial action. Sydney Trains chief executive officer Matt Longland called the deal an important milestone following a 'complex negotiation process'. 'We've got to a position that we've worked through, and we now have approval in principle to take that package to our staff,' Mr Longland said. 'Although that's great news for our people, it's also really positive news for passengers.' The rail network is being modernised, Mr Longland said, including by way of new technology and moving away from manual processes. 'I acknowledge it's been a challenging period for passengers who've been regularly disrupted, not only through industrial action, but also incidents across the rail network,' he said. 'This now gives us the reset we need to work with our people to stabilise performance and invest in the rail network to improve performance in the future.' ETU expected to reject deal However, the ETU is expected to reject the deal. 'This afternoon, the Combined Rail Unions (CRU) reached an in-principle agreement with Sydney Trains and NSW Trains for a new enterprise agreement,' the CRU said on Friday. 'Unfortunately, the ETU is blocking a vote by members effectively withholding any pay rise or new conditions that our EA delegates have fought so hard for. 'The reason they are blocking a vote is due to a misconceived claim to create a 'new section' for their members, for a purpose nobody understands.' 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.
Daily Mail
30-05-2025
- 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'.
News.com.au
30-05-2025
- Business
- News.com.au
NSW government has made a deal on a long-running pay dispute with train unions
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 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. However, the ETU is expected to reject the deal. 'This afternoon, the Combined Rail Unions (CRU) reached an in-principle agreement with Sydney Trains and NSW Trains for a new enterprise agreement,' the CRU said. 'Unfortunately, the ETU is blocking a vote by members effectively withholding any pay rise or new conditions that our EA delegates have fought so hard for. 'The reason they are blocking a vote is due to a misconceived claim to create a 'new section' for their members, for a purpose nobody understands.' 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. 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.'
