BREAKING: Train drivers have backed away from planned industrial action this week following 'constructive conversations' with Metro.
Train drivers have backed away from planned industrial action this week following "constructive conversations" with Metro. Rail Tram and Bus Union state secretary Luba Grigorovitch said the move to call off industrial action for the weeks of August 12 and 19 was a show of good faith.
Staff had threatened to refuse to check tickets, and ban overtime as well as last-minute scheduling changes such as station skipping over the next two Mondays."Our members are committed to supporting the travelling public while in pursuit of a fair enterprise agreement," Ms Grigorovitch said."We are encouraged by Metro's commitments to intensive negotiations over the coming days."Metro workers have withdrawn two proposed strikes. The Age. Photo: Angela Wylie. April 25 2013.“We have always maintained that an agreement can be reached at the bargaining table, and without disrupting our passengers,” Mr O’Flaherty said. “All work bans planned for the next two weeks have now been withdrawn, meaning there will be no impacts to services tomorrow.Mr O’Flaherty said he was confident an agreement could be reached without industrial action. “We look forward to lifting the pace and intensity of negotiations this week so we can reach a fair and reasonable agreement for our employees,” he said. Metro Trains had earlier successfully sought an injunction in the Federal Court to stop the union's plans for industrial action, arguing that this would hit the train operator on one of its busiest days.The RTBU denied the strike was a response to the injunction, but rather a reaction to Metro's decision to dock the pay of workers engaging in work bans. The union is calling for a 6 per cent annual wage rise over three years, whereas Metro is offering 2 per cent.On Thursday, Yarra Trams staff joined Metro workers in voting to take industrial action in pursuit of a 6 per cent wage rise.In 2015 workers went on strike during negotiations over their last enterprise bargaining agreement, which resulted in a 4.4 per cent annual wage rise for workers.
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