Strikes to affect Geelong line

TRAINS to and from Warrnambool and Geelong are not expected to run on December 19 as V/Line staff continue with their strikes for better pay.

These strikes have been co-ordinated to take place on different lines, with the Warrnambool and Geelong lines the last to be affected.

On December 2, operational staff voted whether or not to take industrial action for improved pay, with 98 per cent voting to do so.

This vote included conductors, customer service employees, train drivers, train controllers, shunters and authorised officers.

Victorian Rail, Tram and Bus Union (RTBU) secretary Luba Grigorovitch said the decision to strike was made as a last resort.

“This campaign is all about conditions. V/Line’s attacks on staff have not been well received and members are ready to stand up.

“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. We don’t make the decision to take industrial action lightly.”

The first of the 24-hour strikes took place on the Bendigo and Swan Hill lines on December 11.

Overtime bans and rolling stop works will take place through to December 20. These will include stoppages of six minutes, which will result in interrupted and altered services for regional commuters.

The reasoning behind the six -minute delays is that the staff are looking for a six per cent pay raise over the next three years.

The RTBU and V/Line have been trying to come to an agreement since the start of the year but have been unable to do so.

Ms Grigorovitch said the RTBU was willing to negotiate further, but did not feel they were being taken seriously by V/Line and the state government.

“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.

“The RTBU has been running a longstanding campaign for additional funding for regional services but is has become brutally clear that the Minister for Public Transport isn’t interested in regional services.”

V/Line chief executive James Pinder said the strikes were “extremely disappointing”, particularly during the Christmas period.