The Fair Work Commission has blocked NSW rail unions from striking until 1 July.
The pause comes amid ongoing negotiations between the State Government and the unions over pay and conditions.
NSW trains were disrupted most recently last week, following a dispute between the two parties over a bonus payment.
Here’s the latest.
Dispute
The NSW Rail, Tram, and Bus Union (RTBU) have led the negotiations with the State Government over pay and conditions, on behalf of a group of rail worker unions.
The unions have been asking for a 32% pay increase over four years. The NSW Government has offered a 14% pay rise over four years.
The dispute has led to ongoing industrial action across Sydney Trains, such as driving trains slowly and wearing union gear at work.
Disruptions
The most recent round of rail disruptions came after parties failed to agree on a ‘sign-on’ bonus.
The previous Coalition Government awarded rail workers a one-off $4,500 bonus payment in an earlier round of negotiations.
The RTBU says the current government agreed to make the payment again. The State Government has denied agreeing to this.
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This dispute led to a breakdown in negotiations last Thursday.
The union had previously ordered trains be driven slowly on Friday 14 February. In response, the Government made an order that any drivers who drove trains slowly wouldn’t be paid for their day’s work.
The Government now alleges that in response to their order, the RTBU “encouraged or coordinated” train workers to skip work, causing 57% of services to be cancelled.
The RTBU has denied it was a coordinated effort.
NSW Government
On Wednesday night, the Fair Work Commission suspended all union-protecting industrial action, ordering a “cooling-off” period until 1 July. During this time, the unions cannot carry out any industrial action.
In a statement, Transport for NSW said the pause will allow both parties to “focus on negotiating and finalising a deal” while minimising the impact on commuters.
“Passengers now have certainty that their rail services will not be affected by the types of disruption that industrial action has caused recently.”
Rail Union
The RTBU said it’s “incredibly disappointed” the Government asked the FWC to intervene instead of reaching an agreement.
It warned the decision “sets a dangerous precedent” for workers everywhere.
“It is clear there are no winners in this dispute — with of course the exception of the external legal firms being paid millions of taxpayer dollars to run illogical legal cases against the state’s workers,” the union said.
