By Kelly O'Callaghan
MELBOURNE — Public transport unions plan to stop work for 24 hours on October 14 in support of a 6% wage claim which they have been pursuing for 12 months. The claim arises from last year's "reform" agreement between the unions, the Public Transport Corporation and the Victorian government.
The unions agreed then to cutbacks including the elimination of tram conductors and railway guards and the introduction of automatic ticketing machines on trams, buses and railway stations. These reforms were meant to form part of an enterprise bargaining agreement which would include the 6% pay rise.
However, the PTC and government are now saying that any pay rise must be dependent on further "reforms". As the previous cuts have already resulted in $245 million of savings for the PTC and the loss of 7000 jobs, PTC workers are wondering how much more can be traded off.
The decision to strike was taken at a stop-work meeting attended by around 600 members of the Public Transport Union, the Australian Services Union and the Electrical Trades Union. In discussion several rank-and-file members, while supporting the campaign for 6%, were critical of the small amount and suggested that, since enterprise bargaining was obviously not delivering any real gains to workers, unions should reject the whole concept of trading off jobs and conditions for wage increases.
Union officials told the meeting that while enterprise bargaining was not perfect, unions had no other alternative. However, a leaflet authorised by several delegates and rank-and-file members and distributed at the meeting pointed out that firefighters in NSW were recently able to win a 13% pay rise, with no strings attached, through industrial action.
PTU activists see the October 14 stoppage as an important step towards rebuilding the union, and are pushing for picket lines to be set up on the day. n