Tram pay deal: Yarra Trams and union finally reach an agreement

The bitter pay dispute between Yarra Trams and the Rail, Tram and Bus Union has finally come to an end.

The union and tram operator have come to an agreement over the dispute, which began in July 2019, just three days after public transport minister Melissa Horne finally intervened to end strikes.

3AW state political reporter James Talia said the terms of the agreement are not yet clear.

“Everyone is being very cagey about it,” he told 3AW’s Ross and John.

“The union now has to ask the workers if they agree to the deal so that’s why they’re being a little bit hesitant about telling us what the deal says.”

On Tuesday, when tram strikes threatened to wreak havoc on all four days of the Grand Prix at Albert Park, Ms Horne stepped in after months of mounting pressure to do so.

“She finally provided a government mediator and she’s been sitting in on the negotiations as well,” James Talia explained.

“She says it’s only because of the risk to the Grand Prix.

“I’m not sure that people who rely on the trams all the time, who have been suffering through these strikes for months now would agree with that argument.”

The union was calling for a five per cent annual pay rise for staff, while Yarra Trams has offered a 12 per cent rise over four years.

The tram operator also wanted to lift the number of part time workers on the network from four per cent to 15 per cent.

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Grand Prix tram strikes cancelled after government intervenes in long-running dispute

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