00:00Rail commuters across the state tonight will be pleased to hear that this deal has finally been signed.
00:0892% of members, that's nearly 12,000 people, voted in favour of a 12% increase with back pay over three years.
00:17The Rail, Tram and Bus Union's secretary says it's also a historically high participation rate,
00:23with over 85% of union members choosing to vote.
00:27It's obviously been a very trying bargain with some very hot language used by both parties
00:34but we're really glad that we've been able to get this bargain over the line.
00:38Disruptions over the last 12 months have included more than 350 services being cancelled on a single weekend
00:45and at times up to 1,000 services being affected.
00:49Last year doubt was cast over whether Sydney's New Year's Eve fireworks celebrations would even go ahead
00:55after the union threatened to bring the city's rail network to a halt.
01:00Despite the commuter chaos and time taken to reach an agreement,
01:04the transport minister was pleased with this afternoon's result.
01:08These enterprise agreements have to run through the processes,
01:11this is half the time it took to land the last agreement,
01:14but for commuters it has been a big disruption, I really want to acknowledge that.
01:18That's why this is such a welcome vote, such a great result,
01:21and it's a great result for people wanting to catch a train and enter the disruption,
01:26but it'll also allow us to lift reliability as we invest in the network.
01:30The agreement will now be submitted for formal approval with the Fair Work Commission,
01:34locking in three years of hassle-free transport for commuters.
01:39Thank you very much.
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