Melbourne rail workers reject new offer
After coming under pressure from the state government, the Fair Work Commission and the media, the Rail Tram and Bus Union last week agreed to suspend a four hour train and tram strike planned for 21 August. The union’s decision came after Metro Trains promised to deliver an improved enterprise agreement offer by 5pm on 21 August.
Members of the union met at Trades Hall in the hours before the offer was due to discuss our campaign. A motion of no confidence in Metro Trains and Yarra Trams was passed unanimously. The same motion also called on the Andrews Labor government to stand with public transport workers and not the companies that are attacking our conditions. The government had earlier told the union that it would join any legal action brought by Metro Trains to ban a strike by train workers.
Despite the company’s public assurances, the offer eventually received by the union – hours late – is not improved. A meeting of delegates in the union’s rail division voted on 24 August to reject it. One described the draft agreement as a “total joke”. Industrial action is now back on the table.
Metro is offering a 14 percent pay rise over four years, with 5 percent of this held back until the last year of the agreement. This, from a company which increased profits by 45 percent over the life of the current enterprise agreement.
The company’s proposal also cuts rostered days off, penalty rates for part-time station staff and established train drivers’ rostering practices. Significantly, the company has also not backed away from the introduction of sectorised running of the rail system. It wants to break up the entire rail network into six or seven smaller sections. The drastic plan is an attempt to deskill train drivers and weaken their industrial power. It also presents a number of serious safety concerns.
In a series of meetings held on 25 August, union members also voted to reject Metro’s offer. We will now discuss what action will be necessary to force the company to drop its claims and put a decent offer. It is clear now that negotiation alone will not be sufficient.
Tram workers are continuing a ban on over-time and will also discuss further action against Yarra Trams, incuding the possibility of a four hour stop work on 27 August. Tram workers have rejected a 15 percent pay rise over four years with the loss of over-time penalties.
