Strike action planned by the public transport union during the Grand Prix could be stopped
The state government has been accused of resorting to heavy-handed legal thuggery after announcing what it will do to stop the transport union’s strike action planned during the Grand Prix.
VIC News
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Tram strikes during the Grand Prix could cost Victoria millions of dollars in lost revenue and endanger passengers as they cram onto services, the Andrews Government has warned.
In an escalation of tensions, Public Transport Minister Melissa Horne has announced the government will seek to cancel the industrial action in the Fair Work Commission.
The Rail Tram and Bus Union has planned legal strikes on every day of the major event, with tram shuttles the main source of transportation to Albert Park.
The four-hour stoppages could spark transport chaos for attendees and have prompted the government to take the matter to the Fair Work Commission.
The commission will be required to make a decision within the next five days.
Public Transport Minister Melissa Horne said the government would seek to suspend or cancel the entire weekend of planned strikes.
“There are two key issues at play,” she said. “There is both the safety of the travelling public but also protecting the economic benefit to the state.’’
Ms Horne has spent months resisting calls to become involved in the dispute and has previously argued it was a matter between Yarra Trams and the union.
But, in a sign of rising tensions, she said the government had acted because the strikes would coincide with every day of a major event that brought millions of dollars into the state.
“Of course I respect the right of people to take protected action but there is also the state’s economy that the government is responsible for,” she said.
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“What we are seeing is a pattern of behaviour that is targeting our major events.”
RTBU state secretary Luba Grigorovitch slammed the decision.
“Minister Horne has had months to help avert this industrial action but has continued to sit on her hands,” she said.
“Even now, when she has the opportunity to intervene and help resolve the dispute, she instead is resorting to heavy-handed legal thuggery that will take us further away from a deal than ever.
“On the one hand the Minister is saying; ‘It’s not my job’, on the other she is assisting Yarra Trams by spending taxpayer dollars on legal attacks to strip RTBU members’ right to take protected industrial action.”
The government wrote to the union earlier this week urging them to withdraw the action but this was refused.