RTBU steps up industrial action with strikes every day of Grand Prix
Australian Grand Prix boss Andrew Westacott says he expects authorities to solve the tram strike crisis ahead of the Grand Prix and warns the event could be ruined by delays and disruptions.
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Delays and disruptions triggered by tram strikes would be a blight on the Australian Grand Prix if allowed to spoil the event, according to chief executive Andrew Westacott.
Mr Westacott said he expected authorities to find a solution after the Public Transport Union announced a weekend of industrial action timed to disrupt festivities.”
We’ve got a strong contract with Yarra Trams and I expect those shuttle services to be working across the four days of the event,” he said.
“It’s a very integrated system and I expect that the parties are going to work to a solution.
“If they’re not able to deliver to the world class standards that we set ourselves at the Australian Grand Prix Corporation, then it is a blight on what we have as an event.”
But Mr Westacott said the union’s month-long notice period gave organisers time to respond.
“Thirty days out to hear that the tramways union is talking about disruption is an appropriate negotiation tactic,” he said.
“Hats off to the unions to be able to say to Yarra Trams and the Department of Transport that we need to resolve this.
“The history across 24 years is that there’s no disruption to the Grand Prix.”
It comes as Public Transport Minister Melissa Horne yesterday urged the union and the operator to work the issue out in theFair Work Commission.
“I can’t believe how frustrating it is that the union is continuing to do this,” she said.
“The most appropriate place for this to be thrashed out is in the Fair Work Commission.
“But Ms Horne resisted calls by the Rail, Tram and Bus Union for the state government to intervene in the dispute.
“It is not my job to do either the union’s job for them in negotiating that or to do Yarra Trams job in negotiating theiragreement.
“Yarra Trams is a private sector entity,” she said.
Tram strikes will spark transport chaos on every day the Australian Grand Prix in a major escalation of a long-running industrial dispute.
The Rail, Tram and Bus Union have announced six more days of strikes, with workers to walk off the job over four hours on each day.
The first round of stoppages will run from 10am to 2pm on March 3.
But in a plan that will create major disruptions for thousands of passengers, the union has stepped up its protest with a weekend of strikes during the Grand Prix.
Stoppages will run from 10am to 3pm on March 12 and 13 and from noon to 4pm on March 14 and 15.
Extra tram services are usually added while the major event is on and significant delays are expected.
RTBU state secretary Luba Grigorovitch said ramping up the action was the union’s only option as it contests Yarra Trams push for more part-time rostering.
“It is regrettable that the escalation of industrial action will inconvenience Grand Prix fans over all four days of racing,” she said.
“We expect that Yarra Trams will once again pretend to sympathise with the public and dishonestly claim it is trying to meet with the RTBU and industrial action is unnecessary. “However, the truth is that Yarra Trams repeatedly cancels meetings and is delaying the negotiation process.”
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Ms Grigorovitch again called for the state government to become involved and said the union would abandon the strikes if the Yarra Trams dropped its part-time proposal.
“It is well past time that the public transport minister stops sitting on her hands and does something,” she said.
It comes after a fresh wave of V/Line strikes are set to hit commuters from Thursday.