00:01A 20% reduction in the trains that will be running today and into the future across the
00:07Queensland Rail network and it comes as members of the Rail, Tram and Bus Union continue that
00:14strike action after continuing to fail to reach an agreement with Queensland Rail, their
00:19employer, an enterprise agreement at that.
00:22Now last Monday, Queensland Rail put an offer to the Fair Work Commission, an offer of an
00:278% pay rise over three years with cost of living incentives as well built in in case the cost
00:34of living continues in the way that it currently is going.
00:37That's something that the union head there said wasn't going to help and wasn't any better
00:43an offer than what had previously been seen.
00:45Now it's about 300 fewer trains running right across the Queensland Rail network and having
00:51an impact here in South East Queensland where commuters would use this heavy rail often to
00:56get up towards Brisbane, it's a key freight route that gets people off of the roads.
01:01I spoke to a few of the commuters that regularly rely on using that freight route each day.
01:08We've seen like train cancellations, we've seen the scheduling changed, yeah so just having
01:14to kind of change everything in our morning routines.
01:18And I didn't even know that there was industrial action until I saw the messages today.
01:24These peak hour trains running that typically would run every six minutes are dropping to
01:29every 15 minutes, off peak trains coming every 30 minutes there Gemma.
01:34Now Transport Minister Brent Mickleberg's just recently held a press conference in Brisbane
01:38where he says it's time for the union members to come back to the table.
01:43He says Queensland Rail has made a good offer and that they're open to negotiating.
01:47Now the negotiations are set to continue on Thursday and while these cuts are said by the Minister
01:55at least to not be permanent, there isn't a fixed date set as to yet when these might resume
02:00to regular, the full suite of services that we see across Queensland.
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