V/Line workers to strike on Wednesday, train disruptions expected
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A strike by V/Line workers on Wednesday morning is expected to cause delays across the network as enterprise agreement talks with management drag into their sixth month.
Operations staff including conductors, train controllers, authorised officers, station staff and customer service staff will walk off the job between 3am and 7am, disrupting early services.
Train drivers will not participate, but the Rail, Tram and Bus Union said the strike action would bring the network to a halt.
The union has accused V/Line of failing to deliver meaningful commitments to staff.Credit: Luis Ascui
The union said V/Line was yet to address key concerns raised in the talks, including better job security, inconsistencies in decisions from V/Line management, better work-life balance and fairness for part-time workers.
V/Line chief executive Matt Carrick has urged the union to reconsider the strike, which he said could disrupt the journeys of tens of thousands of passengers.
Commuters have been warned to prepare to make alternative plans if they are travelling on Wednesday. V/Line said it was finalising plans for replacement coaches during the strike and would notify customers of those plans as soon as possible.
Last week, union members voted in favour of potentially holding industrial action and the union said subsequent pay deal talks with V/Line failed to progress. Representatives would remain available for further talks with V/Line, the union said.
Metro staff recently received a 17 per cent pay rise over four years in their bargaining deal, and the union said V/Line staff deserved the same level of respect and conditions.
Branch secretary Vik Sharma said the union would continue to negotiate in good faith.
“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,” Sharma said.
“We are focused on minimising the impacts of industrial action on the travelling public and encourage commuters to plan their working weeks accordingly where possible.
“The [union] will continue to meet with V/Line and negotiate in good faith as members would prefer to avoid industrial action if their concerns are addressed.
“V/Line needs to stop blindly driving this corporate cowboys’ train and listen to its workers.
“We make no apologies in our fight to secure decent conditions for our members.”
Carrick said V/Line had been negotiating in good faith and urged the union to “reconsider industrial action which could potentially disrupt tens of thousands of passengers”.
“We’ll continue to work with the union to deliver excellent employment conditions for our workforce and a better service for our passengers – we will work hard to minimise the impacts of disruption on passengers.”
The walk-off will be the first action by staff during the current pay deal negotiations, and further action is possible, including more strikes, a ban on overtime and a uniform ban.
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