The union sought a 32 percent pay rise across four years, but the government offered 15 percent for the same period, including a superannuation increase.
In a win for rail commuters and the New South Wales government, the industrial umpire has ordered the suspension of industrial action on Sydney’s train network, imposing a cooling-off period until July 1.
Transport Minister John Graham expressed relief at the decision on the night of Feb. 19 by the full bench of the Fair Work Commission after months of legal wrangling.
“This promises an end to disruption for all commuters in Sydney—that’s hugely welcome,” he told reporters.
“This is a win for Sydney’s commuters.”
Graham also struck a diplomatic tone saying it would provide both parties time to hammer out an adequate deal.
“This gives us clear air to stop interrupting people’s lives and get on with the business of landing an agreement … but we’ve got to do it in a way that respects taxpayers and respects the public.”
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Negotiations for a new enterprise agreement for rail workers have dragged on for almost a year and the dispute has come before the commission several times.
The union initially sought a 32 percent pay rise across four years, but the government offered 15 percent for the same period, including a federally mandated superannuation increase.
The Rail, Tram, and Bus Union NSW branch secretary Toby Warnes said employees would respect the commission’s decision.
“We’ll hopefully get back to the bargaining table and there won’t be any more industrial action,” he said minutes after the decision was handed down.
“We are so close now to a deal, we are excruciatingly close and hopefully we can get it done really quickly.”
However, the union said it also set a dangerous precedent, creating “an industrial agenda for aggressive employers” which should concern workers everywhere.
“While we are hopeful that the NSW government will see this result as a reason to come back to the negotiating table, we are not confident,” Warnes said.
Business Sydney said commuters should be rewarded for their patience amid consistent disruptions for months as workers took industrial action that cancelled or delayed services.
“A cessation of hostilities is clearly a good thing but commuters and other rail travellers need certainty that the war won’t erupt again,” executive director Paul Nicolaou said.
