After last week’s nightmare for commuters, the move comes two days before the NSW government’s case to have the unions’ industrial action terminated is due to be heard.
After last week’s nightmare for commuters, the move comes two days before the NSW government’s case to have the unions’ industrial action terminated is due to be heard.
By Matt O’Sullivan
January 20, 2025 — 1.10pm
Rail unions were due to finally hand a counter-offer on pay and conditions to the NSW Labor government during a closed hearing before the workplace umpire on Monday.
Union officials met senior bureaucrats from Transport for NSW and Sydney Trains at a hearing in central Sydney at 1pm on Monday to present in writing their counter-offer, details of which have yet to revealed.
Walking into the hearing, Rail Tram and Bus Union (RTBU) state secretary Toby Warnes confirmed that the counter-offer would be presented but declined to reveal its contents.
“I don’t want to jeopardise it,” Warnes said. “A lot of the problems we’ve had have been because we’ve negotiated through the media. You guys will know if they reject it – we’ll tell you what it was. And if they accept that, you’ll obviously know what it was.”
Warnes said discussions were likely to extend into Tuesday and could run until as late as Wednesday morning, when a two-day hearing was due to start on the government’s case to have the unions’ industrial action terminated or suspended on economic harm and community welfare grounds.
Asked if a pay deal could be reached, Warnes said he was “very hopeful” because “our positions are very close”.
Before entering the meeting, Transport for NSW secretary Josh Murray said he and other officials including Sydney Trains chief executive Matt Longland had agreed to meet and listen to the unions.
“The unions have asked for this meeting. We’re very happy to have this discussion and hear what they’ve put down on paper,” he said.
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“This is the No.1 priority for the travelling public at the moment to get this sorted so we’ll put the time aside.”
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The government has offered rail workers a 14 per cent pay rise over four years, which includes a 1 per cent rise from savings from merging the state’s two passenger rail operators. The RTBU and five other unions’ opening claim last year was for a 32 per cent pay rise over four years.
On Friday, Transport Minister Jo Haylen said the government would consider a counter-offer if it was put in writing, but emphasised that it was pursuing its Section 42 application under the Fair Work Act.
Haylen has said the “threshold is high” to convince Fair Work to intervene, but the government was preparing evidence to bolster its case of the “incalculable” hit to the economy and community harm. She has also said the 14 per cent rise over four years was a “final pay offer”.
At a hastily convened Fair Work hearing on Thursday, the state’s rail unions were ordered to stop their protected industrial action on an interim basis until a final decision is made at a full hearing this week.
Work bans caused thousands of train services to be cancelled or delayed across the rail network on Wednesday and Thursday.
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Matt O’Sullivan is transport and infrastructure editor at The Sydney Morning Herald.Connect via Twitter.
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