Visit the 
Visit the PAB Results: Members overwhelmingly vote YES to deactivating Opal machines
Dear Members,
Congratulations to all who voted in the Protected Action Ballot. Overwhelmingly members have voted YES to the action of deactivating the Opal gates (97% of those who voted). This has sent a very strong message to the NSW Government that RTBU members are prepared to fight for their right to take action and the EA they deserve despite the vile threats from a desperate government. It also demonstrates that through all the curveballs thrown at us, our union remains united and is ready to take this action.
What happens next?
We will be holding a delegates meeting tomorrow to determine when we will taking the approved action to deactivate the opal gates. We will update members with more details as soon as the notification is sent.
As this is an action that we have never previously taken, we do understand there may be some teething issues at the beginning. Organisers and delegates will be out and about to support station staff during this action period and we remind members that they can also contact our hotline on 0488 117 772 and someone will get back to you as soon as possible.
An FAQ for station members will be provided in the coming days and will be available on Our Rights Our Fight website.
Something to keep in mind
As we are committed to transparency with our members, we think it is important for members to be aware that we are mindful that the NSW Government may still attempt to apply for an injunction in the Federal Court over this action. This is despite our efforts to make sure this action is above board by voting in a new PAB. We do not know if it is a real threat yet, but we need to be ready for the possibility.
It would be incredibly frustrating and disappointing if Sydney Trains, NSW Trains and the NSW Government went down this route as they were given every opportunity to raise any concerns during the PAB application process. However, we have little to no trust left with any of these entities as they’ve shown time and time again that they’d rather waste everyone’s time and money on ego preserving legal action rather than simply agreeing to our claims, fixing the NIF, and offering members a real cost of living wage increase.
We will keep members updated over the coming days. For now, we applaud the members and delegates who voted and worked hard to make sure this PAB was a success.
In Unity,
RTBU NSW
Issued & authorised by Alex Claassens, Secretary, Rail, Tram and Bus Union – NSW Branch
Level 4, 321 Pitt Street,
Sydney NSW 2000
Tel: (02) 92642511
nswho@rtbu-nsw.asn.au
www.rtbu-nsw.asn.au
12 October 2022