Melbourne Metro trains will not be impacted by planned industrial action this week, after the Rail Tram and Bus Union (RTBU) announced on Friday it would cancel plans to strike for four hours on Thursday.
In a brief statement on Friday night, RTBU state secretary Luba Grigorovitch said progress had been made in negotiations between the union and Metro Trains, over a new work agreement.
The sides have been at loggerheads over the new deal for some time now, with the union announcing last week that it planned to ban its members from wearing company uniforms all week from Tuesday, September 29, as part of lawful industrial action against the company.
Drivers were also planning to refuse to skip stations on Friday, October 2, and were planning a number of other measures, including a four-hour stop-work meeting between 10am and 2pm on Thursday, October 1.
All that has been cancelled – or at least put on hold – by this latest announcement.
“I’m optimistic we can work through the remaining issues by end of Monday as we continue to strive for a fair enterprise agreement,” Grigorovitch said.
Melbourne’s rail system is so pathetic.