The New South Wales government is standing firm in its pay deal negotiations with rail unions as the bitter dispute drags on. Sydney Trains say 115 staff failed to report for their rostered shifts this morning, but at this stage there are no cancellations across the network. The dispute is heading back to the fair work commission tomorrow.
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00:00People getting through here to Martin Place, for example, without relative struggle, frankly.
00:08No major delays reported across the network and certainly Transport for New South Wales
00:12has made the point that protected industrial action that is being taken at the moment,
00:17which involves trains travelling at slower speeds, about 60 kilometres an hour rather
00:21than their top speed of 83 kilometres an hour, hasn't impacted the network.
00:26Now, the government has accused the unions of trying to coordinate mass staff absences.
00:32The Fair Work Commission actually found in the union's favour that that wasn't the case,
00:35but also the amount of staff that are actually off today compared to Friday, for example,
00:40significantly lower.
00:41So only 100 staff off today or so, it was more than 700 on Friday.
00:45It is worth noting people do get sick as well sometimes, so naturally some of the staff
00:49absences we are going to see are going to be either pre-planned leave or spontaneous
00:54leave.
00:55Both could be well and truly irrespective of any union directives.
00:59So John Graham spoke to ABC News Breakfast.
01:02He was at pains to say he didn't think a deal was forthcoming because at several points
01:07there's been different issues that have come up, in his view, out of the blue at the negotiating
01:12table.
01:13I'm not suggesting we're close.
01:15This dispute's been so hard to follow for the public.
01:19At one point it was about 50 cent fares.
01:22At another point it was about 24 hour running.
01:24Now it's about a $4,500 sign-on bonus.
01:29It won't be done until it's done.
01:32We can't afford these bells and whistles.
01:34What we are offering is fair paying conditions for rail workers.
01:38That's the case we'll be putting to the Commission tomorrow.
01:41That's John Graham there just throwing forward to that Fair Work Commission hearing.
01:45It is a full bench hearing, which means the entire Fair Work Commission will review this
01:49case.
01:50The Government are hoping to see all planned industrial action stopped.
01:53So that go slow that I mentioned earlier would see trains have to go back at regulation speed.
01:58It would also hamstring the Union's ability to negotiate with the Government in terms
02:02of using other tactics, which is essentially what the purpose of industrial action is to
02:06demonstrate to the Government why they should come to the party and come towards the Union's
02:11position.
02:12For their account, it is worth noting the Rail, Tram and Bus Union on behalf of all
02:16the unions negotiating with the Government over rail workers right now, they have a strong
02:21feeling they are quite close.
02:22They've talked about this idea of a payment that is made and was made in the last Enterprise
02:27Agreement being foiled over into part of its pay packet increase in this Enterprise Agreement.
02:33The Government has taken issue with that point of the negotiation.
02:36But it is worth noting there have been several different flashpoints throughout this negotiation
02:40process.
02:41Whatever comes of this Fair Work Commission hearing tomorrow will largely influence which
02:46side has the upper hand in negotiations.
02:48If the Government win, the Union can't strike for some time.
02:51If the Union win, not only do they have the ability to continue taking industrial action,
02:56it really also does bring the Government back to the table and is a vindication of the Union's
03:00arguments thus far around their right to take this sort of industrial action.