Disruptions to Sydney’s rail network this weekend may not be as bad as feared, after workers called off some planned industrial action. The government has temporarily met one of their demands, with two days of free train travel. It has also reached another deal with the union to lift work bans that were blocking the next stage of the metro. But as pay negotiations drag on, another industrial battle is coming to a head.
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00:00The tussle between workers and management over pay threatened to disrupt train travel
00:06to Homebush for tomorrow's Bledisloe Cup.
00:09But the rail, tram and bus union has cancelled industrial action that was expected to hamper
00:14special services.
00:15This is a big weekend for Sydney, we want it to work without a hitch.
00:19The government met their demand for 50 cent fares by making train travel free for the
00:23weekend.
00:25But it's still warning of delays with other work bans remaining in place and footy finals
00:29straining the network.
00:31We are expecting some service cancellations as a result of industrial action.
00:36Doing this at this particular time is really just not right.
00:41It's the right of every worker to hold his labour back if he or she wishes.
00:47Separate industrial action over the metro conversion of the Bankstown line has delayed
00:51the first stage of the shutdown which was scheduled for tomorrow.
00:55But late today the government reached an agreement with the union allowing the project to go
00:59ahead.
01:00The government has agreed to have one staff member present on every train and platform
01:05on the South West line, just like in the city section of the metro.
01:08But while it's made progress with one union, it's locked in a standoff with another.
01:15The Industrial Relations Commission has recommended nurses be given an interim pay rise of three
01:19per cent while negotiations continue, provided they cease industrial action.
01:24The Health Ministry has agreed, but the union is planning to strike on Tuesday, defying
01:29the judgment.
01:30When we have got other states paying upwards of 10, up to 18 per cent more, three per cent
01:36is just not sufficient.
01:37The union is demanding an immediate pay rise of 15 per cent.
01:41In fairness, that 15 per cent in a single year, in anyone's books, is a very, very difficult
01:47thing to try and be able to deliver.
01:50Caught in the middle are the hundreds of patients whose surgeries are likely to be delayed if
01:54the strike goes ahead.