The Electrical Trades Union Queensland & Northern Territory Branch confirm that no industrial action will be taken on ANZAC Day to any extent that would impact members of the public and affect services running. Any disruptions to services on ANZAC Day will be at the hands of Queensland Rail (QR) and the LNP State Government.
The ETU and its members hold a deep and sincere respect for the sanctity of ANZAC Day and the profound sacrifice made by those who served, so that Australians may enjoy the freedoms and way of life we have today. This is not a position taken lightly - it is a value shared by our Delegates, Officials, and membership.
ETU President Jason Young says, "It has always been the ETU's intention to withdraw any industrial action on ANZAC Day. Our Delegates and Officials considered this well in advance of today's correspondence, and the decision to not proceed with action on this day was already settled."
Speaking at a press conference this morning ETU Rail Organiser Darren Wood said, "Our membership does not want to affect any of the services running on ANZAC day, we understand the sanctity of ANZAC day, and we want to do our best to lift what action is necessary in order to allow services to run for people to be able to pay their respects."
It has now been two weeks since the ETU requested that Queensland Rail and the LNP State Government seriously consider the union's proposal for an Electrical-only Enterprise Agreement - a proposal made in good faith, at no cost to the employer, and one that would have avoided the current dispute entirely by allowing both parties to focus on reaching an agreement and moving forward.
To date, the ETU has received no response to this request by Queensland Rail and the Government.
The ETU again calls on Queensland Rail and the LNP State Government to respond to this proposal without further delay. Industrial relations require good faith from all parties at the table. We have demonstrated ours. We now ask that QR and the Government demonstrate theirs.
