Sydney Trains and NSW Trains bargaining update: 24 hour train services this weekend!
Today we continued bargaining with Sydney Trains and NSW Trains. The day was slow again, but there were some productive conversations had around areas where the rail entities are particularly inefficient. This will assist us in our continued negotiations to achieve our claim of an 8% pay increase per year of the agreement.
In other news, our actions are already creating movement.
We’ve long been pushing for our public transport system to reflect the global city that it is intended to service. We met with a Government taskforce earlier this year to discuss the viability and create a plan to provide 24 hours transport services. Unfortunately the Government never followed through.
The Government constantly argues that it just isn’t possible to run a 24-hour train service. Or that there isn’t any demand for it (as silly as this argument is).
Well now members have now forced their hand to prove we can provide 24-hour services.
Throughout the last few months our actions have repeatedly pressured Sydney Trains and the Government to agree to, or do things, they have claimed they just couldn’t do. At every step they stress that it’s just not possible but clearly this has been an excuse and has never been true.
24-hour services across Sydney are a great win for members and an important win for the city!
When it comes to the Intercity, Sydney Trains are once again crying it’s just too hard. This is not unexpected – the Intercity is hundreds of staff short due to a decade NSW Trains mismanagement and neglect.
While it’s not hard to believe that providing 24-hour services on the Intercity is difficult, the people of Newcastle, Lithgow, Moss Vale and Wollongong are the ones who suffer, missing out on our innovative industrial action. In the coming days we will be notifying additional actions to show just how inept our managers are at planning under pressure and to give those commuters on the Intercity the service they so thoroughly deserve.
Sydney Trains and NSW Trains seems more inclined to spend their time on “EA update” emails or Viva Engage posts than engaging in meaningful bargaining.
The strength and unity members have displayed throughout this bargain has been incredible. For us to secure the conditions and pay we deserve, we will need to continue stick together as our actions ramp up.
Since the Government put their weak wages offer on the table earlier in the bargain, they have provided pay rises to other public sector workers well above what was on offer. These offers set the stage for the Government to come to the party on our push for better wages
Make no mistake our actions will continue to escalate. For big wins, big action is required. This is a fight that we win together!