Welcome to union chaos

From the SMH and the transport union holding Sydney commuters, the NSW Government and tourists hostage to their wage demands:

At a hearing of the Australian Industrial Relations Commission in Sydney this morning, RailCorp asked the Commission to terminate the bargaining period, which has allowed members of the rail, tram and bus union to schedule a 24-hour stoppage for July 17 - the day Pope Benedict XVI’s motorcade courses through Sydney.

But Senior Deputy President Anne Harrison has instead ordered the parties to reappear before the commission on Thursday, when she will conduct a full hearing into the dispute.

Leaving the commission, a union spokeswoman said: “As it stands the action is still scheduled to proceed. The commission has made no order on that.”

Ironically, the NSW Labour government is looking to use Howard’s Work Choices legislation to stop the strike. With wall to wall ALP governments no one should be surprised at the strike action, which follows industrial action by Qantas workers.

The Rail Tram and Bus Union yesterday announced plans for a 24-hour strike by rail workers on July 17, the day more than 200,000 pilgrims — on top of the normal commuter crowd of 500,000 — are expected to travel to the Sydney CBD to see the Pope’s motorcade pass through the city’s streets.

NSW Premier Morris Iemma said yesterday he would “not be blackmailed into giving them (the union) what they want as a result of these industrial terror tactics”.

“The threat to embarrass the state on one of the most important days of recent history will not cut ice with the Government,” Mr Iemma said.

The union has rejected the Government’s offer of an 8 per cent pay rise over two years.