The NSW RTBU is pausing its Opal gate action due to a state government attack
New South Wales’s Rail, Tram and Bus Union (RTBU) says workers have paused protected industrial action which would have given commuters given free travel.
The pausing of the protected industrial action that would have seen Opal gates turned off between 3pm and 7pm from Thursday comes as the NSW government launches what it describes as “one of the most vicious attacks on workers ever seen in this country”.
RTBU NSW Secretary Alex Claassens says union delegates made the decision to pause the Opal gates industrial action while the matter is in the Federal Court.
“Everyone can see what the government is really trying to do here – rather than doing the right thing and trying to reach an agreement, they want to bankrupt the union and tangle us up in legal cases until after the March state election,” Claassens says.
RELATED ARTICLE: VDL bus batteries get second life in new project
“This government has shown it will stop at nothing. This is a vicious, unprecedented attack on workers and every worker in this state should be watching this case with great concern.”
Claassens says it is disappointing that workers will not be taking the action tomorrow which would have given commuters free travel between 3pm and 7pm each day.
“If the government continues to stop us from giving commuters free fares, the only actions available to us are things like strike action. We don’t want to go down that route, but it seems the government wants to force us there. Why the government would want to do that to commuters is beyond me,” Claassens says.
“What we want, and what commuters want, is for the government to act like adults and sit down and negotiate so we can get safe trains and fair wages and conditions.
“Commuters and rail workers are sick and tired of the NSW government using our railway as its political toy.”