In a significant development, the Victorian branch of the Rail Tram and Bus Union has officially communicated its intention to take industrial action on January 25.
This move, set to disrupt V/Line services, will see conductors, customer service staff, station personnel, authorised officers, signallers, train controllers and shunters walk off the job for four hours between 3am and 7am that day.
However, the impact of this strike is anticipated to extend beyond the four-hour window, prompting hundreds of workers to participate in the strike. Commuters are advised to make alternative travel arrangements or consider working from home during this period.
What is the reason behind the upcoming strike?
The crux lies in the ongoing negotiations between union workers and V/Line executives. On January 10, RTBU representatives met with V/Line officials to advocate for job security, fair pay, and favourable working conditions. Drawing attention to the recent deal with Metro that secured a 17 per cent salary increase over the next four years for RTBU members, Vik Sharma, RTBU secretary, expressed, “We don’t see why our regional members should receive an inferior pay deal”.
Despite months of negotiations since June, V/Line’s alleged lack of urgency in reaching an agreement has been a contention.
Mr Sharma said, “V/Line continues to drag their feet and seems to be in no rush to reach an agreement”.
However, V/Line chief executive officer Matt Carrick said: “We have been continuing to negotiate in good faith and have made progress towards reaching an agreement”.
What are the anticipated impact and planned future actions?
Aware of the strike’s impact on thousands of regional commuters, Mr Sharma emphasised that the decision to strike was not taken lightly by RTBU members.
While no further actions have been planned at this stage, Mr Sharma confirmed more strikes can be expected if an agreement is not reached between V/Line and RTBU members.