The industrial referee has blocked plans for road workers, construction equipment and other Transport for NSW workers to go on strike for the first time in decades.
The Workers ’Union of Australia announced on Wednesday that the 24-hour industrial action would begin at 6am on Thursday.
But late Wednesday, the NSW Industrial Relations Commission ordered the AWU and other relevant unions to stop organizing immediately and refrain from going on strike.
Road workers, construction teams and other Transport for NSW workers will go on a one-day strike tomorrow. (AP)
“The AWU, its officers, employees, agents and members shall not induce, advise, authorize, support, encourage, direct, assist or encourage the members of the AWU to organize or carry out industrial actions,” ordered Commissioner Damian Sloan.
The AWU said it was “extremely disappointed” by the ruling and sought further legal advice.
“The AWU will continue the fight for a fair wage increase,” it said in a statement issued Thursday afternoon.
The wave of strikes is affecting the NSW public sector
In recent weeks there has been a wave of public sector strikes by railway workers, nurses and midwives over pay and working conditions.
The AWU justified the now blocked industrial action, apart from train strikes, saying the state government’s 3% wage supply represented a step backwards for the standard of living of workers.
“These men and women worked tirelessly to keep our state moving during the recent forest fires and flood disasters,” said AWU NSW branch organizer Cameron Wright.
“During the pandemic they put on their work gear and went out into an uncertain world while the rest of us were locked up.
“The prime minister likes to talk about his‘ 3 per cent ’salary increase offer, but it’s actually 2.5, because he has the mandatory retirement increase.
“So with inflation above 5 percent, the average road worker is told to feed their family with much less.”
Teachers and workers in the health and transport sectors have taken union action this winter on wages and conditions. (Brook Mitchell)
The railroad union had planned to limit services to just 25 percent this week, but trains will run on a weekend schedule.
Equivalent industrial action is expected on Friday.