Sydney rail unions seek to lift industrial action suspension

Rail unions in Sydney are asking for a legal order that suspends industrial action on the city’s train network until July to be revoked. They believe the order is not helping solve an ongoing pay dispute with the government and only maintains transport chaos in the city. The Rail, Tram and Bus Union (RTBU) and other unions represent thousands of railway workers. They filed an application to the Fair Work Commission to end the suspension of industrial action, which was imposed just a month ago. Since then, train workers have regularly disrupted the rail services in Sydney. Last month, the government secured a legal win when a federal workplace regulator ordered this temporary cooling-off period. The goal was to reduce tensions and reach a new pay deal. However, unions claim that the order has not met this goal and they feel the positions of the parties have drifted further apart instead. They allege that rail operators have gone back on past agreements, such as the promise of backpay and the withdrawal of a controversial technology change clause. The unions argue that significant entitlements have also been removed from their proposals. On Wednesday, the Electrical Trades Union (ETU) sought to overturn the order in the Federal Court, and a decision is pending. The ETU and RTBU have taken various forms of industrial action since last September, leading to significant disruptions in Sydney's rail network. Although the government sought a six-month suspension of industrial action, the current order lasts only until July. This period has not resolved the unions’ main demand for a $4,500 bonus payment. The ETU recently separated from the main rail unions, which have been negotiating a new enterprise agreement for almost a year.