29 March, 2024
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Perrottet stands by threat to rail union

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Premier Dominic Perrottet insists negotiations with the NSW rail unions are over and it’s time to vote on a take-it-or-leave it offer – or return to the industrial umpire.

The protracted industrial dispute escalated after the Premier threatened on Wednesday to rip up an enterprise agreement after months of industrial action on the state’s rail system that’s caused chaos for commuters.

“This cannot go on any longer,” Mr Perrottet said on Sydney radio 2GB on Thursday.

The government has offered to make about $1 billion of modifications to NSW’s Korean-built New Intercity Fleet but no agreement has been reached on a new enterprise agreement.

“We will put the offer to them in writing. They are required to put that to their members for a vote,” Mr Perrottet said.

That process could take a month and the government is calling for an end to any industrial action for that period.

“If that is breached then we will apply to the Fair Work Commission for the current agreement to be terminated,” he said.

If that happened, Mr Perrottet said the existing enterprise agreement and the offer to modify the mothballed intercity fleet would be off the table.

In July the FWC rejected the government’s application to force the union to suspend its industrial action.

Rail, Tram and Bus Union NSW secretary Alex Claassens said threats from the NSW government to rip up an enterprise agreement were empty rhetoric.

“The Premier and his cronies can make as many empty threats as they like but they will be prevented by the Fair Work Commission from ripping up any enterprise agreement, simple as that,” he said on Thursday.

“The RTBU will continue to negotiate in good faith and will guarantee the next two weeks free from strikes. After that, we’ll see what happens.

“There is no way they’re allowed to do that … there are laws in this country,” Mr Claassens said.

-AAP

The post Perrottet stands by threat to rail union appeared first on The New Daily.

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