No more train disruptions before July

After weeks of delays on the rail network, Central Coast commuters can relax a little with no more industrial action to occur before July.

Rail passengers have experienced train cancellations and delays for weeks, with rail unions conducting various industrial actions as they struggle to come to an agreement with the NSW Government over pay and conditions.

Major holdups from the previous weekend through until Wednesday, February 19, saw commuters fuming.

On February 19, the Fair Work Commission ruled in favour of a “cooling off period” until July 1.

The NSW Government says the end of all industrial action will allow Sydney Trains and NSW TrainLink to focus on negotiating and finalising a deal with the Combined Rail Unions (CRU).

The Commission found that it was “in the public interest” for industrial action to pause.

But the Rail, Tram and Bus Union (RTBU) says the move creates a dangerous precedent, setting an industrial agenda for aggressive employers.

RTBU secretary Toby Warnes said it was “incredibly disappointing that the NSW Government has allowed its dispute with the state’s rail workers to get to this point”.

“While we are hopeful that the NSW Government will see this result as reason to come back to the negotiating table, we are not confident,” he said.

“Our fear is that the Government has no intention of finalising this bargain, and the lack of industrial action, or the threat of it, will mean it will continue to sit on its hands rather than reach agreement with its rail workforce.

“While the NSW Government will no doubt attempt to frame this as a win, it is clear there are no winners in this dispute – with of course the exception of the external legal firms being paid millions of taxpayer dollars to run illogical legal cases against the state’s workers.”

Warnes said rail cleaners, guards, station staff, drivers and others working on the state’s rail network just want a fair agreement that acknowledges the hard work they do and helps keep commuters safe.

“We are hopeful that the NSW Government will now heed the warning of the Fair Work Commission; stop whipping up unhelpful, untruthful and anti-worker rhetoric and sit back down at the negotiating table immediately – not wait until the last minute as has been in the case in the past,” he said.