Regional, freight train 72hr industrial action on ice after late-night development

A planned three-day railway strike, which would have shut down freight and interstate services, looks to have stalled after a late-Tuesday development.

Interstate XPT services were set to be impacted by the planned industrial action.

A planned three-day railway strike, which would have shut down freight and interstate services, looks to have stalled after a late-Tuesday development.

A 72-hour-long protected industrial action was planned for Thursday, affecting freight, interstate XPT and Xplorer services, impacting school holidays, and coal and wheat supply.

However, the Australian Railway Track Corporation, the federal government body whose unionised employees were set to strike, said it “had been terminated”.

“We applied to the Fair Work Commision to terminate the action, and those orders were not opposed by the unions,” an ARTC spokesman said.

Industry sources confirmed they’d been advised the commission had struck down Thursday’s strike.

Members from the Rail, Tram and Bus Union, Australia Services Union, Electrical Trades Union and Professionals Australia had voted for a range of actions, including a 72-hour strike, a 24-hour work stoppage of signal electricians, and an indefinite on-call ban, after disagreements over the new employee enterprise agreement.

The unions, however, weren’t contactable late Tuesday for comment. It is not clear if the planned strike has been cancelled or merely delayed.

A Transport for NSW spokesman said they had been advised of the potential action and had contingency plans in place for passenger services.

Southern Shorthaul Railroad director Jason Ferguson had warned of the “multimillion-dollar costs” if the strike had gone ahead.

“The impact on our customers and industry would have been massive,” he said.

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Revealed: 72hr regional rail strike planned

15:30pm

NSW’s freight, interstate and regional services look set to stall on Thursday after union members voted for 72-hour-long industrial action, in a blow to industry and the school holidays.

The planned action, industry leaders said, would not only scupper holiday plans – with XPT and Xplorer interstate services set to be cancelled or replaced with buses — but also exacerbate costs and contribute to supply shortages, particularly in coal and wheat.

More than 250 unionised controllers, maintenance leaders, and signal electricians employed at the Australian Railway Track Corporation are set to start protected industrial action for up to three days after midnight Thursday over a new Enterprise Bargaining Agreement, affecting interstate and freight lines.

A Transport for NSW spokesman confirmed the department had “been informed for the potential of protected industrial action”.

The knock-on effect, said one industry leader, could be “massive” with “multimillion-dollar costs”.

A loaded coal train is seen passing through the outskirts of Singleton, the Hunter, one of the ARTC-managed lines set to be impacted. Picture: AAP

“The impact on our customers and industry will be massive – we’re doing our best to keep cost of living pressures down, as a country we need to avoid debilitating strike action like this,” Southern Shorthaul Railroad director Jason Ferguson said.

Mr Ferguson said about 90 per cent of cement and gravel for concrete was transported by rail, and almost all of wheat used in NSW bread, and would have to be shunted by trucks, “which is substantially more expensive... adding to cost of living pressures”.

The ATRC is federally owned, managing 8500km of freight and passenger track, and overseeing more than 400 freight and passenger trains.

Multiple passenger services could be impacted and replaced by coaches or cancelled.

Industry insiders revealed XPT services from Sydney to Brisbane and Melbourne, long-haul interstate services to Perth and Adelaide, regional Xplorer trains to places like Armidale and the ACT, and regional freight services, including those into Port Botany and across the Hunter, were all set to be affected.

Jason Ferguson, owner and director of Southern Shorthaul Railroad. Picture: Justin Lloyd.

The Transport spokesman didn’t detail the extent of services affected or what exact plans were being put in place.

“We are putting contingencies in place for our customers should any industrial action go ahead and will communicate those plans should it be necessary,” he said.

An ARTC spokesman said negotiations between them and four unions – RTBU, ASU, ETU and Professionals Australia – had been ongoing since February.

“ARTC presented an EBA draft to unions and employees that has put forward a 11.5 per cent wage increase over the three years of the proposed agreement, in addition to improved allowance and leave conditions,” the spokesman said.

“Last week, the unions gave notice to ARTC that their members intend to take protected industrial action from Thursday.”

Interstate and certain Xplorer services could be impacted. Picture: Julian Andrews

Freight into Port Botany could be impacted by the planned action. Picture: Seb Haggett

That action could range from consecutive 72-hour work stoppages – of RBTU members only – a 24-hour work stoppage of unionised signal electricians, and an indefinite on-call ban.

A Fair Work Commission hearing is set for Wednesday over the planned action and the ARTC spokesman said they had a “number of contingency plans in place”.

A Rail, Tram and Bus Union spokeswoman said members had voted after the proposed agreement “covered a large cohort of non-operation staff, leaving operation staff concerns being ignored” – creating an “industrial gerrymander”.

Rail, Tram and Bus Union (RTBU) NSW Secretary Alex Claassens. The union is one of four that voted for action. Picture: Dylan Coker

“For too long having a single agreement has meant some workers have been left behind – this is about making small changes to make sure everyone is treated fairly, but unfortunately management has refused to budge,” she said.

The spokeswoman said the move was to “ensure all workers get fair wages and conditions”, and the union had asked the federal government to intervene and direct the ARTC to cancel the planned hearing.

This publication understands the ARTC will put a vote of the agreement to members, with a result known by Friday evening.

Australia Services Union, Electrical Trades Union and Professionals Australia were all contacted for comment.

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