The rail workers’ union will impose an indefinite ban on overtime for Sydney Trains and NSW Trains workers starting on Thursday, January 25, in an ongoing standoff over a new enterprise agreement.
RTBU NSW secretary Alex Claassens announced the action on Monday.
He also said that from Friday, January 19, workers will wear and display union and industrial campaign material such as union apparel and badges at their workplace.
“We’re incredibly disappointed we’ve had to get to this point,” Claassens said.
“No one wants to take industrial action, but we haven’t been left with any other options at this stage.”
The Government is negotiating with the union on a new enterprise agreement for Sydney Trains and NSW Trains workers, with the sides differing significantly on a fair pay rise percentage.
The union reportedly wants a 6% per annum rise written into the new deal, but the operator is offering 2.5%.
Last week RTBU gave the union permission to utilise industrial action as part of the negotiation, with over 90% of voting workers approving strikes up to 3 days, and over 73% approving longer strike action.
NSW transport minister Andrew Constance has asked Sydney Trains and Transport for NSW for a formal report after Sydney commuters were hit with extensive delays on Monday and Tuesday last week.
Constance told the media several lightning strikes had worsened a tight situation, with Sydney Trains already dealing with an unusually high number of staff on sick leave.
Claassens says Constance and the Government are out to get workers, with plans for more driverless trains to follow those coming with Sydney Metro, and long-term aspirations to privatise Sydney’s rail network.
“Workers simply can’t sit back and allow this government to attack workers and our transport services any longer,” the union leader said.
“The transport minister will try to make us sound greedy – he always does – but I don’t think anyone is going to buy that, especially given the chaotic scenes of the government’s making this past week.
“Privatisation of our transport services is a live threat. We’ve already seen buses in the inner-west go under the hammer, so it is entirely reasonable for other transport workers to be worried about the threats to their jobs too and to ask for some certainty around job protection and conditions.”