World Youth Day and the AIRC

The Australian Industrial Relations Commission (AIRC) has declined to terminate the bargaining period between RailCorp and the Rail, Tram, and Bus Union (RTBU). This means that the planned industrial action is still on. However, this dispute is not over as the President of the AIRC has ordered the parties to return on Thursday for a full hearing.

Despite the government's insistence that it has a 4% offer on the table it is worth noting that the offer is 2.5% and a further 1.5% is offered provided that a further 400 jobs are shed from the sector. This appears to be a sticking point as the RTBU seems to want a 5% flat and no job cutting measures. The classic debate wage increases based on productivity increases.

I guess we will see what happens on Thursday.

Postscript:

It seems we might not have to wait until Thursday as it seems the RTBU leadership has reached a tentative agreement with the Deputy Premier and Minister for Transport, John Watkins. The agreement still needs to be approved by the union membership but if the leadership accepts the deal then they are likely to be pushing for the rank and file members to accept it.

If the rank and file accept the deal then the strike is averted.

Postscript II:

It seems that Kevin Rudd before making the big dash to the G-8 meeting in Japan has decided to weigh in on the RTBU planned strike action (seemingly already averted see above postscript). The PM's take on the planned industrial action was that any strike would be disrespecting the Holy Father!

Hold on a minute. I thought we lived in a land where there was separation between Church and State. I also did not realize that we had to show special reverence to a fella who had no qualms about telling Protestants that their Churches were not really Churches in the sense of the practicing of faith. Maybe respect is a two-way street.

In any event, is the NSW government completely blameless in this whole affair? It is easy to blame the unions but the reality is that there are two sides in this negotiation and as such both are to blame for drawing this thing out for as long as they have!

No matter what, it is possible to respect people, including the Pope, and still feel that you have a legitimate right to strike. Now, if that strike action causes a great deal of inconvenience then perhaps that is the point, particularly if you want people to understand what your cause is and the reasons behind the action...

Just my thoughts.

World Youth Day -- Transport Strike Update

The government is taking the threat of strike action seriously. So it should considering the traffic problems that it would create. However, the government's plan is to go to the Australian Industrial Relations Commission (AIRC) with a view to resolving the stagnant negotiations or getting an order that would prohibit any strike action during the Pope's visit.

I have a sneaky feeling that resolve in the government's mind is getting the AIRC to sign off on the 2.5% cap on wages. If that fails then an order that simply says any strike action on certain dates would be illegal.

The NSW Minister of Transportation, John Watkins (pictured), says that the "industrial action ... is irresponsible, and in particular next week." I wonder irresponsible for who? The members of the RTBU whose families are going to be negatively impacted by a wage rise that is below the rate of inflation? Or irresponsible to those who are going to be making some big cash out of the Pope's whirlwind tour of Sydney?

The irresponsible party here is the NSW Labor Government who have failed to put into place any contingency plans in the event their negotiations with the RTBU went belly up. Another fine example of the NSW Government taking their eye off the ball and then looking to blame someone else for their complete ineffectiveness. Then again, maybe we should have seen this coming.

My hope is that the government does take this to the AIRC and they slap the 5% increase that the RTBU is demanding on the government. This would avert any industrial action and ensure that nothing irresponsible happens.

I wonder who is looking after the little people while the NSW Government is looking after the interests of the Catholic Church?

Postscript:

It seems that the government might not be all bad. Latest reports are saying that the government has a 4% wage offer on the table that would require some productivity improvements and some head office changes.

The drama continues.