TWU Wins 10 Per Cent Over One Year

Date: 03 April 2000

The Full Bench of the New South Wales Industrial Relations Commission today handed down its decision to the vary the major award covering Transport Workers in New South Wales, the Transport Industry (State) Award.

The Commission's decision grants a 10% award wage increase to transport workers and the families across NSW and endorses an agreement reached between TWU delegates and officials with Transport Industry Employers.

Receiving the Commission's decision earlier today Transport Workers Union State Secretary Tony Sheldon said "Today's decision is a fantastic win for all Transport Workers and their families across NSW. "For members of the TWU it is a credit to their courage and determination in taking the fight to employers across the industry over the last 2 years. For non-union members and transport workers in regional areas it should reinforce the importance of the NSW award system in the face of repeated assaults by Federal Government and the Minister for Workplace Relations Mr Peter Reith."

The New Award grants transport workers and their families a 5% wage increase from 10 April 2000 and a further 5% wage increase in 12 months time.

"These increases will play a critical role in our efforts to take wages out the competition equation in the transport industry," Mr Sheldon said. "While the TWU is currently in the middle of a wage round for the rest of the industry on enterprise agreements, this 10% wage increase will go along way to bringing the remaining 30% of the industry that are solely covered by the Transport Industry State Award who didn't receive the 1997 wage round campaign increase."

"In addition to the substantial wage increase, perhaps the other most significant factor in the today's decision is that it has been achieved without substantial award trade offs. In the face of the Federal Government's attack on the Award system and the basic conditions and protections of working people and their families the decision is a credit to all involved," Mr Sheldon said.

Endorsing the agreement reached by the TWU the Commission made this point most effectively,
"the agreement we consider has achieved a reasonable balance as between the increases in wage rates and the award variations said to justify them, such that there is no basis on which we could, in fairness or principle, refuse to accept the agreement in the particular and special circumstance of this case."

For further information

Contact:	Scott Connolly
Union:	Labor Council of NSW
Phone:	0418 445 329
WWW:	http://workers.labor.net.au/

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