BRANCH
STOP PRESS
! NEWS VIC
V/Line members bring network to a halt
have V/Line members ll take wi ey th d ce announ action, with further industrial age planned a four-hour stopp Thursday of for the morning 25 January. the RTBU Keep an eye on page bo Victoria Face ok /RTBUVic m .co ok www.facebo for updates
Services at Victorian regional passenger rail operator V/Line came to a halt on the morning of Wednesday 13 December after members in the operations grades (excluding drivers) took industrial action over the lack of progress on a new Enterprise Agreement. Members stopped work between 3 am and 7 am, bringing the network to a halt. The RTBU notified V/Line of the action a week in advance and made it clear that representatives were ready for intensive negotiations. Victorian Branch Secretary Vik Sharma said the parties participated in a Fair Work Commission conference on Friday 8 December to work through outstanding items, but members were
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not satisfied that enough progress was being made. “Bargaining on the new EA commenced back in June when the current agreement expired,” Vik said. “The work stoppages follow a strong ballot result that saw union members vote overwhelmingly in favour of industrial action. “V/Line has continued to bury their heads, refusing to acknowledge deep-seated issues throughout their management structures.
“We are disappointed that V/Line has been unable to resolve outstanding issues and the impact this will unfortunately have on commuters. “In the current climate of automation, major changes and an uncertain economy, members are fighting for what all workers across Victoria deserve – job security and decent conditions. “V/Line needs to stop blindly driving this corporate cowboys’ train and listen to its workers.”
