The Rail Tram & Bus Union (RTBU) will take measures to ensure the strike planned for Friday, September 4 will only impact Metro Trains services for the intended four-hour stretch.
“Our industrial action is aimed at Metro Trains not the travelling public,” RTBU Victoria secretary Luba Grigorovitch said. “We are doing everything we can to minimise disruptions to train services on Friday.”
The RTBU is engaged in lengthy bargaining disputes with both Metro Trains and Yarra Trams, the operators of Melbourne’s heavy and light rail networks respectively, over new work agreements for union members.
A four-hour strike on the tram network last week was criticised by some for having more than four hours of impact on commuters, due to the crossover of activities at the start and end of the strike action.
The union has vowed to get it right with Friday’s planned train strike.
“We have made this decision to ensure that every train scheduled to commence before 10am can complete its timetabled run,” Grigorovitch explained.
“Staff will also return to work in sufficient time so that every train schedule from 2pm onwards can run.
“We are taking these steps to ensure that any disruption to the travelling public is minimised and only effects those services scheduled between 10am and 2pm.”
The train strike was announced on August 26, in retaliation to Metro Trains’ alleged reaction to other industrial action originally planned for this week.
The RTBU had announced a pair of short early-morning strikes, as well as a number of on-site measures, including a ban on uniforms, a ban on checking Myki tickets, and other actions. But the union says Metro responded to this by threatening to lock-out workers who took part in such action.
“Metro has threatened our members that if they take part in the partial work bans they will be refused the opportunity to perform all other work and will not be paid,” Grigorovitch said last week.
“This is a crude attempt by Metro to intimidate our members from exercising their legal rights. The bans are protected industrial action and are allowed under the Fair Work Act.”
Grigorovitch insists the union would prefer to avoid industrial action, and would like to see an agreement reached by Friday.
“The RTBU remains available and willing to negotiate with Metro so Friday’s industrial action can be avoided,” she said.