Visit the 
Visit the Desperate act by Senior Management
Dear Members,
Last night, Sydney and NSW Trains sent Station Staff a letter regarding their upcoming action, an action that was overwhelmingly approved by members on Wednesday last week.
The letter, clearly designed as a brazen act of intimidation against our Station Staff, advised members that Sydney and NSW Trains management “does not authorise or agree to you or any station staff deactivating Opal readers and gates, and ensuring that they remain deactivated”.
Protected industrial action is a Fair Work Act entitlement vital to the bargaining system. Members are protected by law from any adverse action or discrimination when they are taking protected industrial action.
Although we are sure that the NSW Government will seek to challenge our action in the Federal Court, in no circumstances are employers or management ever required to authorise us taking industrial action.
Industrial action is a UNION decision, it is never a decision of management.
This sort of intimidation and stand-over tactics will never be tolerated by our union. If any action is taken against our Station Staff members’ brave action designed to simultaneously hurt the government and benefit the NSW public, then our entire union will respond!
It seems the NSW Government and the rail agencies are determined to do everything in this negotiation apart from bargaining with their workforce. We could have reached an agreement months ago, but they are hell bent on wasting taxpayer dollars fighting us in the media and the Courts.
We are looking at legal actions available to us against this low act by management. In the meantime, those responsible for it should consider their positions and resign. There is no room on the railways for this kind of nonsense.
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
15 October 2022