RTBU continues to pressure Andrews Government with letter to state caucus
Victoria’s public transport union has hit out at Treasurer Tim Pallas with its state secretary Luba Grigorovitch urging Labor MPs to intervene in a court battle between the union and Metro Trains.
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Victoria’s powerful public transport union has ramped up pressure on the Andrews Government by hitting at out at Treasurer Tim Pallas through the Labor Party.
In a letter to the state government caucus, Rail, Tram and Bus Union state secretary Luba Grigorovitch urged MPs to intervene in a court battle between the union and Metro Trains.
The RTBU is currently negotiating a new enterprise agreement for Metro’s operational staff but is unable to go on strike because of an industrial dispute in the Federal Court.
Ms Grigorovitch and the Victorian Trades Hall Council has urged Mr Pallas, who is also Industrial Relations Minister, to intervene in the battle but the government has so far declined to become involved.
“Despite the gravity of this matter and the stark consequence and precedent set by a multinational corporation to manoeuvre through a broken federal legal system to attack workers, numerous attempts to gain support from the Victorian Labor Government have borne no fruit,” the letter reads.
“This government was elected on a platform of reform to workplace laws and
working people are counting on the Andrews Government to lead by example on these important matters.
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“I am writing to you on behalf of RTBU members, and union members more broadly, to ask that you call on Minister Pallas to intervene in the Federal Court proceeding to ensure workers’ fundamental rights are upheld.”
Mr Pallas, who last month told Trades Hall that the government would not intervene, said the dispute was “a matter for the parties involved”.
The RTBU will front Federal Court next week in a bid to restore its right to strike action, with more industrial action also likely for Yarra Trams staff over the next month.