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SA Government slammed for paying train drivers during stop-work meeting

Monday, 12 Sep 2016 07:14:41 | Nicola Gage

A stop-work meeting with train drivers will be held this week. (ABC News: Chris Lawless)

The South Australian Government is "skirting around the spirit of the law" after paying train drivers to stop working on Wednesday as an industrial dispute continues, the Opposition claims.

The drivers' enterprise agreement expired at the end of 2013 and since then there has been a lengthy dispute over pay and conditions, leading to several planned strikes.

Drivers will meet with union and employer representatives for three hours this week to continue negotiations.

But Opposition spokesman David Pisoni does not believe they should be paid during that period.

"The Government's being too cute ... by claiming this is an agreed meeting, it's not industrial action — this is a meeting that's held in the middle of a protracted industrial campaign," he said.

"Despite the fact there's a stop-work meeting where members are being paid to attend, there is no guarantee that there will be no further industrial action."

Transport Minister Stephen Mullighan said the meeting was happening instead of industrial action and recent negotiations had been positive.

"The Government has taken the decision that rather than risk having industrial action during the morning or afternoon peak ... a paid time meeting outside of those peak periods is the best thing for commuters," he said.

"It's very important that the Government make sure that we're minimising the impact on commuters of any stop-work meeting.

"And we've avoided having a strike which would have focussed on the peak periods or major events had we not provided this opportunity for the union and employer representatives to meet with the train drivers.

"So it's an easy decision for Government to make to help minimise the impact on commuters."

Mr Mullighan said he was hopeful the dispute could be concluded soon.

The meeting will run between 11:00am and 2:00pm.

AustraliaPlus


 

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