Court fight to stop Melbourne train strike
Melbourne's train operator is taking the public transport union to court over its plans to offer free travel to commuters.
Metro Trains applied to the Federal Court on Friday to stop union members from undertaking industrial action, which includes plans to keep ticket barriers open and refuse to check Myki cards on Monday and on August 19.
Thousands of drivers and station staff are expected to take part.
Negotiations between Metro Trains and Victoria's Rail, Tram and Bus Union have been going for almost six months, with the union asking for a six per cent pay rise and better conditions. Metro Trains is understood to have offered two per cent.
"Our members are entitled to be treated fairly and have reached a point where they have been forced to take industrial action which they have done without hurting commuters," union secretary Luba Grigotovitch said in a statement.
"For Metro to run to the Federal Court at the 11th hour to try to strip our members of their rights is indicative of how they have handled themselves in negotiations."
She said the union was reluctantly taking industrial action as a "last resort".
"We urge Metro to drop the court action and return to negotiations before relationships break down and the travelling public is inconvenienced," Ms Grigotovitch said.
Metro Trains previously described the action as "completely unnecessary".
