Strike action is planned for Aurizon’s Queensland coal systems over the next 11 days, after the Rail Tram and Bus Union announced its program of industrial action after ongoing pay negotiations broke down.
RTBU Queensland Branch secretary Owen Doogan has accused Aurizon of deliberately trying to sabotage a negotiated outcome to the deal talks.
Doogan says Aurizon, the owner-operator of Central Queensland’s coal railways, will use the national significance of the supply chain as leverage against the workers.
“In this instance, unions gave Aurizon management seven days’ notice of this action – and they responded by simply walking away from negotiations,” Doogan alleged.
“Aurizon is always a difficult company to reach agreement with. Its negotiation style is essentially ‘our way or the highway’, including unreasonable demands and wishy-washy responses to worker claims for a fair go in the workplace.”
According to SBS, Aurizon has urged unions to withdraw action, and says it has been bargaining in good faith.
If all action goes ahead, union members in Aurizon Coal’s traincrew, operations and maintenance workforce will walk off the job for 24 hours, staggered across three sections of the Central Queensland network.
Strikes at depots in Callemondah, Stanwell and Bluff will shut down the Blackwater system and Moura line for 24 hours from noon on Friday, December 14.
A 24-hour strike from noon on Saturday, December 15 at Pring, Jillalen and Coppabella will shut down the Goonyella and Newlands lines.
And a 24-hour strike from noon on Sunday, December 16 at the depots of Toowoomba, Fishermans Island and Roma, will impact the rail line into Brisbane.
Each strike will also be followed by a seven-day ban on overtime at the respective depots, the union added.