00:00People getting through here to Martin Place, for example, without relative struggle, frankly.
00:08No major delays reported across the network and certainly Transport for New South Wales
00:12has made the point that protected industrial action that is being taken at the moment,
00:17which involves trains travelling at slower speeds, about 60 kilometres an hour rather
00:21than their top speed of 83 kilometres an hour, hasn't impacted the network.
00:26Now, the government has accused the unions of trying to coordinate mass staff absences.
00:32The Fair Work Commission actually found in the union's favour that that wasn't the case,
00:35but also the amount of staff that are actually off today compared to Friday, for example,
00:40significantly lower.
00:41So only 100 staff off today or so, it was more than 700 on Friday.
00:45It is worth noting people do get sick as well sometimes, so naturally some of the staff
00:49absences we are going to see are going to be either pre-planned leave or spontaneous
00:54leave.
00:55Both could be well and truly irrespective of any union directives.
00:59So John Graham spoke to ABC News Breakfast.
01:02He was at pains to say he didn't think a deal was forthcoming because at several points
01:07there's been different issues that have come up, in his view, out of the blue at the negotiating
01:12table.
01:13I'm not suggesting we're close.
01:15This dispute's been so hard to follow for the public.
01:19At one point it was about 50 cent fares.
01:22At another point it was about 24 hour running.
01:24Now it's about a $4,500 sign-on bonus.
01:29It won't be done until it's done.
01:32We can't afford these bells and whistles.
01:34What we are offering is fair paying conditions for rail workers.
01:38That's the case we'll be putting to the Commission tomorrow.
01:41That's John Graham there just throwing forward to that Fair Work Commission hearing.
01:45It is a full bench hearing, which means the entire Fair Work Commission will review this
01:49case.
01:50The Government are hoping to see all planned industrial action stopped.
01:53So that go slow that I mentioned earlier would see trains have to go back at regulation speed.
01:58It would also hamstring the Union's ability to negotiate with the Government in terms
02:02of using other tactics, which is essentially what the purpose of industrial action is to
02:06demonstrate to the Government why they should come to the party and come towards the Union's
02:11position.
02:12For their account, it is worth noting the Rail, Tram and Bus Union on behalf of all
02:16the unions negotiating with the Government over rail workers right now, they have a strong
02:21feeling they are quite close.
02:22They've talked about this idea of a payment that is made and was made in the last Enterprise
02:27Agreement being foiled over into part of its pay packet increase in this Enterprise Agreement.
02:33The Government has taken issue with that point of the negotiation.
02:36But it is worth noting there have been several different flashpoints throughout this negotiation
02:40process.
02:41Whatever comes of this Fair Work Commission hearing tomorrow will largely influence which
02:46side has the upper hand in negotiations.
02:48If the Government win, the Union can't strike for some time.
02:51If the Union win, not only do they have the ability to continue taking industrial action,
02:56it really also does bring the Government back to the table and is a vindication of the Union's
03:00arguments thus far around their right to take this sort of industrial action.
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