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Second bout of transport strikes expected to create "significant disruptions" for Melbourne commuters

Xinhua, September 2, 2015 Adjust font size:

Hundreds of thousands of Melbourne commuters can expect "significant disruptions" for the second time as many weeks after a bid to stop Friday's industrial action was rejected.

The Victorian government and Metro trains both made a last ditch plea to Australia's Fair Work Commission on Wednesday to terminate the Rail, Bus and Train union strike.

But signalers, train controllers, station staff and authorized officers have been given the all clear to walk off the job following a protracted pay dispute with Metro.

Train drivers will not join in the four-hour strike to be held from 10:00 am to 2:00 pm on Friday, but will be unable to do their jobs without the support staff.

This is the second round of strikes to have plagued Australia's second largest city in under a week. Last week, Melbourne's public transport network went into meltdown when the city's trams drivers walked off the job, creating massive problems for commuters forced to seek alternative modes of transport.

On Wednesday, Fairfax media reported Friday's industrial action would also result in 50 early morning cancellations on Thursday due to a pre-strike meeting.

In a statement on Wednesday Metro said commuters could expect " significant disruptions" on Friday from 8:30 am to at least 3:30 pm.

Transport Minister Jacinta Allan said the government was " bitterly disappointed" with the union's decision to "punish passengers" by walking away from negotiations and to press on with the strike.

Union secretary Luba Grigorovitch told the Australian Associated Press on Wednesday the group would prefer to call off Friday's action, but the pay deal on the table was "a long way from being acceptable".

Friday's train strike will be the first in Melbourne since 1997, when the entire transport network was shut down as the city hosted its second Formula 1 Grand Prix. Endi