Government and union agree to 6-week negotiation on rail network

Train commuters should be spared from heavy disruptions under a last-minute agreement between the union and government. Read how your trip will be affected.

Commuters will be spared from some of the worst-case train disruption, with the rail union agreeing in principle to “pull back” some industrial action in exchange for a six-week period of “intense negotiations” in a bid to reach a deal with the government.

The last-minute truce was reached in a meeting between the Rail, Tram and Bus Union and the government on Thursday, but the finer details are still yet to be confirmed.

RTBU NSW Secretary Alex Claassens announced six weeks of ‘intense negotiations’ with the government. Picture: Tim Pascoe

RTBU Secretary Alex Claassens said the union would consult members and delegates on a proposal to withdraw some industrial action for six weeks while the negotiations are under way.

The agreement does not resolve the dispute between the government and the union, but will put both parties at the table with a commitment to negotiate a deal.

Transport Minister David Elliott.

Transport Minister David Elliott, appearing alongside Mr Claassens at a media conference, said an agreement had been reached “in good faith” for the union to withdraw some industrial action in exchange for a renewed push to finalise enterprise bargaining agreement negotiations.

“Our collective focus is to make sure commuters get the service that they deserve,” Mr Elliott said.

The minister pledged to answer the phone — even at 3am — if Mr Claassens called with a grievance about the negotiations.

Mr Claassens said the union had given a commitment it would “pull back” on certain industrial actions, which bureaucrats had worried would lead to the most disruption, as part of the deal.

The in-principle agreement came after the government offered a peace deal to the union in a bid to lift certain bans during the six-week negotiating period.

That offer was largely the same as a previous olive branch which had been offered but rejected by the union.

It gave concessions on five key claims in exchange for a commitment that certain work bans would be put on hold for the negotiation period.

Earlier, the union had rejected an offer which proposed the same concessions in exchange for a commitment that workers would not strike until June 2023.

The agreement still needs to be ratified by RTBU members.

Both the union and government stressed that some delays should be expected amid the ongoing impact of recent floods on the network.

An earlier meeting between union officials and transport bureaucrats was labelled by Mr Claassens as mostly unproductive, because no “decision makers” had been at the table.

The meeting between Mr Claassens, Mr Elliott, and Industrial Relations Minister Damien Tudehope was brokered after it was revealed neither minister would be present at the day-long negotiation with the union.