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A reprieve finally came when the Fair Work Commission ordered the unions to halt industrial action in February, however that order expired July 1.
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The unions had initially asked for a 32 per cent pay rise over four years and a 35-hour working week. That was countered with a government offer of 9.5 per cent over three years.
It took months of negotiation to end the bitter pay dispute and agree on what Transport Secretary Josh Murray called a “complex rail agreement”.
“The parties have worked hard on new measures in this agreement to help restore confidence in the way we manage disruption, and the way we collaborate on rolling out new infrastructure. We can now get on with the plan.”
RTBU Secretary Toby Warnes described the dispute as a “tough process”, and said the pay increase was needed considering the “difficult job” rail workers have.
“It’s fantastic that this long, and often bitter, dispute can finally be put behind us and that workers can get back to doing what they do best – moving commuters safely around the state,” Warnes said.
The new agreement, which will now be lodged with the Fair Work Commission for formal approval, expires in 2028.
While the state government’s union woes are over, Premier Chris Minns still faces scrutiny on how prepared the network is to deal with emergencies, after an overhead wiring fault crippled the network for three days in May.
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