by Luke Voogt
No Geelong-Melbourne trains will run next Wednesday as V/Line workers strike for the second time in two months for better pay, union officials have announced.
Buses will replace trains as workers strike for 24 hours on the Geelong line for “better conditions”, according to the Rail, Tram and Bus Union (RTBU).
“This campaign is all about conditions,” the union’s Victorian secretary Luba Grigorovitch said.
The industrial action follows workers striking last month for better conditions including a six per cent annual pay rise over three years.
“Negotiations with V/Line continue to go in circles, we’re not getting anywhere, we need a circuit breaker,” Ms Grigorovitc said.
“Our members take great pride in their work, getting people from A to B, but when government and the company team up to attack their ability to deliver that service they take it very personally.”
Employees moved to take action following a year-long industrial dispute with V/Line.
“We don’t take any action lightly and ultimately would prefer it be avoided, but RTBU members are fed up and the public deserves a way forward,” Ms Grigorovitc said.
She accused Public Transport Minister Melissa Horne of showing no interest in RTBU’s “longstanding campaign for additional funding for regional services”.
“The government is expecting V/Line workers to do more with less, more services less support, and our members just won’t stand for it,” she said.
The coalition’s regional public transport spokesperson Steph Ryan also took aim at government.
“It’s time embattled Public Transport Minister Melissa Horne steps up and resolves this mess,” she said.
But a government spokesperson said the strike had unnecessarily impacted thousands of passengers relying on the “vital” services.
“We urge both parties to get back to the negotiation table and come to a resolution quickly so that our passengers aren’t impacted particularly during this important events season.”
V/Line CEO James Pinder described the strike during next week’s Australian Open finals and the previous action days before Christmas as “extremely disappointing and frustrating”.
“Our passengers don’t deserve to bear the brunt of this decision by the RTBU,” he said.
Discussions between V/Line and RTBU had taken place as recently as last week, Mr Pinder said.
“We want to move forward with these discussions and urge the RTBU to do the same.”
Station assistants, whose tasks include customer service and attending platforms, receive $60,632 per year at the lowest pay grade plus allowances, according to V/Line’s latest enterprise agreement.
Clerks on the lowest pay grade received $66,664 for 2019, while trainee conductors received $58,812 and conductors received $78,572.
