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Warnings of a cancelled New Year’s Eve celebrations are no longer, as rail unions have agreed to scale back planned industrial action for the night.
A Fair Work Commission hearing was scheduled for this morning, with the NSW government lodging an application to have the unions’ New Year’s Eve actions suspended on the grounds that they would pose safety and economic concerns.
However, as lawyers for the government and rail unions arrived for the scheduled, full-day hearing, the commission was informed that the parties were close to reaching an agreement. Emerging from discussions at 10am, the Fair Work Commission was told that the government would drop its applications to the industrial relations tribunal, in return for the unions agreeing to withdraw bans that would have impacted services on and around New Year’s Eve.
Holiday period safe from industrial action
Minister for Transport, Jo Haylen confirmed the changes in a press conference shortly after agreements were made.
“I can report that we have been given undertakings by the rail union that there will be no disruption, no industrial action over the holiday period,” she said on Tuesday morning.
“We can report that Christmas, New Year’s and the Sydney Test are safe because these industrial actions by the unions have been withdrawn.”
“I’m very pleased to report that the holiday period is now safe for passengers and businesses,” she said.
“We didn’t want to be in this situation, and there are no celebrations from the government today.
“We want to make sure we can provide confidence for the community. And that’s what we’ve been working towards for the past couple of weeks.”
NSW RTBU Secretary, Tony Warnes, said that the union was ready to continue its negotiations with the government once Christmas was over.
“The Minns government should be back at the bargaining table on Boxing Day, and they should be trying to get a resolution for this agreement before New Year’s Eve,” he said.
“Let’s get this done. Come back to the bargaining table. We’re here, we’re ready, we’re ready to bargain.”
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