V/Line staff will strike across the state throughout December
V/Line services are set for major disruptions in the coming weeks, as staff prepare for strike action. Here’s everything you need to know about the protests.
VIC News
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Strikes will shut down regional rail lines for a day at a time as the public transport union steps up its campaign over a new pay deal.
V/Line operational staff will walk off the job from next week, with each stoppage targeting different sections of the network.
No train services will on the Bendigo and Swan Hill lines from December 11 or on the Ararat, Maryborough and Ballarat on December 12.
All-day stoppages will then hit Traralgon and Bairnsdale lines on December 17, the Albury, Shepparton and Seymour lines on December 18 and the Warrnambool and Geelong lines on December 19.
V/line trains leaving Southern Cross Station will also run consistently late on December 16 as staff stop work for six minutes every time a train is scheduled to depart.
All three of the states major rail operators are now locked in battles with the Rail, Tram and Bus Union.
A ballot of V/Line staff earlier this week found 98 per cent of workers voted to launch industrial action as the negotiates a new pay deal.
The union has asked for a six per cent increase year on year but V/Line, a government-owned corporation, has so far refused to budge from its offer of 2 per cent.
The dispute is the latest in a series of public battles between Victorian unions and the Andrews Government’s cap on wage increases.
RTBU state secretary Luba Grigorovitch said the ballot results showed her members were frustrated with the progress of negotiations.
“V/Line is an organisation in need of resources, we can’t expect to run a railway in 2019 on the staffing levels of 1986,” she said.
“Regional Victoria deserves not only better train services, but also the operational staffing requirements to ensure reliability.
“Management and the government must stop trying to pass the buck between one another and show leadership for an outcome that supports regional commuters.
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Ms Grigorovitch said negotiations said the current V/Line agreement had expired and negotiations were now into their fourth month.
“It is clear the minister has been sitting on her hands, afraid of helping the parties find resolution,” she said.
It comes as Yarra Trams staff are set to walk off the job again on Thursday, December 5 in what will be the fourth tram strike in Melbourne this year.
“We expect negotiations to continue in good faith between the parties involved,” a government spokesman said.
A V/Line spokeswoman said:
“We’ll continue to negotiate in good faith with our workers’ representatives about the new V/Line operations workplace agreement.”