New pay agreement with rail unions is a 'good deal', NSW government says

ABC NEWS (Australia)

The NSW state government insists its new pay agreement with rail unions is a "good deal" for commuters, and rejects opposition claims of secret backroom negotiations.

Transcript

00:00To end a disruptive dispute, unions had sought a pay bump of 8% a year.

00:08In the end they settled for about half that, but there were a few extras to get them over

00:12the line.

00:13There's a dead animal allowance for whatever that means.

00:16It's a $20 payment to move dead livestock or domestic pets out of the rail corridor.

00:22The government says it's all part of the back and forth of negotiations.

00:25Things that are offered, removed, taken back, put back on the table and we've got to a

00:30landing around this.

00:32We've made a decision that that's good for passengers, it's good for workers.

00:36The RTBU forced the previous government to make major design changes to the intercity

00:41fleet which took several years and cost about $300 million.

00:46Labor says this new deal will still give unions consultation rights on big decisions, but

00:51it'll only last four weeks.

00:53This government said we want something quick where we can go and resolve it, get the safest

00:57outcome for commuters and our delegates were happy to agree to that.

01:02Staff with 20 years service will be given free lifetime train travel.

01:06The current threshold is 30 years.

01:09And there's a $1300 allowance to attend workplace rights training.

01:13These things do not pass the pub test.

01:16But the coalition offered its own enticements back in 2022.

01:19To get the agreement signed we made a one-off payment of $1000 and that was like almost

01:24a quasi-COVID payment.

01:26You gave everyone $4,500 didn't you?

01:28I don't recall it was $4,500.

01:31It was a $4,500 payment but the coalition says a large chunk of that was in lieu of back pay.

01:38It shows that governments of both persuasions have offered sweeteners in order to get pay

01:43deals done.

01:44And given the pressure to keep public transport running they're likely to feature in the next

01:49agreement as well.

01:50So now.

01:51Okay.

01:52Go GORDON Next slide 10 to process this.

01:57We have aiad.

01:57We have a previous one.

01:59Let the revision and you look back on our website now, one of the questions that you

02:02went off to.

02:03And you're points.

02:04Anthony went off to a revised cowboy.

02:05Again, you've got a date from the anniversary of the year.

02:07And at the completion of the seller who800 had.

02:09We was the founder.

02:10And the one of the deal sees that we changed.

02:12And three judges came here, and very often, nothing when we still do what we can celebrate.

02:14Sometimes I let people know what we can.

02:16We create a group treaty in the fifth lodge of mine might deliver next month.

02:17I'm indifferent.

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