Sydney rail commuters will be travelling worry-free until July after the Fair Work Commission ordered industrial action on the city’s train network be suspended until July.
The combined rail unions, including the Rail, Tram and Bus Union (RTBU), have been told to halt their industrial action until July 1.
The NSW government had taken the unions to the commission seeking a seek-month pause following last week’s breakdown in negotiations, which led to significant disruptions on Friday.
The four-month suspension on all industrial action will act as a cooling-off period to bring hostilities down between the government and the unions.
The decision came after 862 staff members did not show up to work last Friday, plunging the rail network into chaos with over 90 per cent of services cancelled.
A text message to RTBU members was leaked to reporters on Friday morning, telling union members to members to “f— the network up.”
The unions and the government are at loggerheads over the former’s demand for a $4500 sign-on bonus for rail workers.
The Commission said the next step would be for the parties to resolve the dispute over the one-off payment, without causing chaos for commuters.
