Report on New South Wales Train Worker’s Dispute

Running head: REPORT ON NEW SOUTH WALES TRAIN WORKER’S DISPUTE 1
Report on New South Wales Train Worker’s Dispute
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REPORT ON NEW SOUTH WALES TRAIN WORKER’S DISPUTE 2
Report on New South Wales Train Worker’s Dispute
Introduction
The relationship between employer and employee is essential in maintaining the
competitiveness of an organization. Employees with a harmonious relationship between their
employers are always associated with a high level of productivity and reduced cases of industrial
strikes. However, the current economic hardship and the growing level of competition witnessed
across the world have significantly interfered with the employee-employer relationship.
Numerous cases of the industrial dispute have been seen in nearly every sector (Gladstone,
Wheeler, Rojot, Eyraud, & Ben-Israel, 2015). Employers demand so much from their employees
to be able to much the growing level of competition and increasing cost of operations while the
employee continues to demand more improved workplaces with better compensation. Most of
the disputes are always caused by the constant demands of employees to raise their wages and
salaries. The constant demands for such an increase are contributed partly by the insatiable
demand for economic stability, but it is majorly due to the growing level of inflation and cost of
living. Economic hardship has made it difficult for employees to meet their daily expenses at
their present compensation and thus run to their employers to consider increasing their salaries
(Jacobi, Jessop, Kastendiek, & Regini, 2017). Companies are equally finding it difficult to
always give in to the demands of employees because the cost of doing business has significantly
grown. Increasing wages and salaries will only make the already bad situation worse. Besides,
giving in to the demands of the workers always form a pattern of subsequent similar claims that
the company cannot maintain. Australia is one of the countries that have had multiple cases of
industrial dispute that is caused by disagreements between the employers and employees. The
most recent example is the New South Wales (NSW) Train Workers’ Dispute in 2018. This

REPORT ON NEW SOUTH WALES TRAIN WORKER’S DISPUTE 3
paper identifies some of the major parties, issues that resulted in this dispute, the relationship
between the parties and the efforts that have been put to resolve the conflict.
New South Wales (NSW) Train Workers’ Dispute in 2018
New South Wales (NSW) Train is known as Australian passenger rail and coaches
services for both long and medium distances. The government of Australia operates NSW trains
and serves the state by offering large transport services. The train network has however received
severe setback in the recent months due to the feuds that have existed between its workers and
the management. Commuters have always lived in fear of disruption to train services now and
then due to constant disputes. There has always been a complaint from workers regarding their
working condition and the need for the management to consider improving their workplace. This
has caused a long-running industrial dispute in the entire NWS rail workforce. The parties
involved in this dispute include workers of the NSW trains and Sydney Trains and the Rail,
Tram and Bus Union (RTBU), and finally the management of NWS train.
NWS Train Workers and Sydney Train Management
NWS Train employs a large number of employees in different categories that have been
very instrumental in ensuring that the public gets transport services across the state. Employees
are always the greatest asset of any firm, and when they are properly motivated, the company
will always remain competitive. However, NSW train workers have lately had bruised
relationship with their employers causing a high level of uncertainty to commuters (Hickey,
2018). The threats of strikes for an organization such as the NSW train is not always a reasonable
threat to the government as it can cause significant disruption in the entire transport system. The
employees are under industrial protection by the industrial workers unions that protect them from
possible vilification by the employee in cases of legal strikes (Sullivan, 2018). That makes it

REPORT ON NEW SOUTH WALES TRAIN WORKER’S DISPUTE 4
difficult for the government to suspend workers who strike or ignore their workers’ plight in this
case. The dispute is primarily caused by the employee demands on the pay increase and changes
in the practical terms without involving workers (Gerathy, 2018). The problem started when train
workers through their rail union’s demand for a 6% pay increase for the four years period meant
to cover close to 9000 workers (Sullivan, 2018). Workers demand has always received negative
feedback from the Sydney Trains that has always stood at the cap by the government on public
sector wages, which is 2.5% every year (Gerathy, 2018). The offer by the management has
always been considered too low and cannot be accepted by the union members. The two groups
have remained at loggerheads for more than six months after the negotiation started. The most
effective way through which employees can push for their agenda in such a case is by taking part
in the industrial strike. Train employees have always threatened the management of taking part
in protected industrial actions. Some of the threats that the employee put forth are the 24-hour
strike that was expected to cripple the rail network in the city (Karp, 2018). However, the
management has always called for the union bosses to consider the train customers before
effecting the strike action.
Sydney Trains and the Rail, Tram and Bus Union (RTBU)
Train employees have a strong union that works towards championing for their rights to
have better working conditions with the favorable compensation plan. RTBU has always been
the voice of rail and public transport workers in Australia. The union has close to 35,000
members drawn from those who work in freight rail, light rail, and passenger rail and any other
publicly run bus networks (“About The Rail Tram and Bus Union (RTBU),” 2018). The
organization is focused on working towards improving and maintaining more workplace safety
standards for its members (Graham, 2018). It equally takes part in collective bargaining for