NSW Transport Minister David Elliott has said if the union doesn’t accept the deal on the table, it’s proof that the strikes are politically motivated.
The NSW government has offered to upgrade a fleet of brand-new trains in a $260 million sweetener toTransport Minister David Elliott moved to break an impasse with the state’s rail workers over the safety of new Korean-built trains by offering a $264 million commitment to modify the trains to union specifications.
He said: “The union has always said ... this is not about money, this is about safety,” he said. “Well, they’ve got their $264 million to address safety. If they don’t withdraw industrial action now, it’s 100 per cent, iron-clad, gold-plated, guaranteed proof that this is all about the election.”Under the new offer, the government will pay to modify the Korean-built trains that have been certified by the National Rail Safety Regulator but fall short of union standards.
The new deal also aims to clamp down on snap union action with a demand that it surrender its right to veto any change in practice or technology, such as the new inner-city fleet.“We have agreed to their request for one agreement and all of the original discussions and negotiations in relation to their allowances and their pay have also been agreed to,” Mr Elliott said.
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