Sydney train commuters can look forward to a smoother commute after the NSW transport minister struck a deal with the union to lift a ban on overtime for some rail workers.
Train signallers will lift the ban overtime shifts after the NSW government agreed to key safety claims in their bargaining agreement, the union said on Wednesday.
However, other industrial action by the Rail, Tram and Bus Union will continue, with staff refusing to work on foreign rolling stock and commuters facing interruptions on the South Coast and Airport South lines.
Transport Minister David Elliott said he met the union on Monday and addressed a number of their claims.
"I'm pleased the union has agreed to lift the overtime ban with respect to signallers late yesterday evening to ensure passenger services and freight lines are uninterrupted for the next two weeks," Mr Elliott said.
"The safety and welfare of transport workers is of great importance to me, as is providing a reliable and safe service to commuters."
The breakthrough came because he had a constructive relationship with the unions, he said.
But he admitted negotiating a resolution was complex because of the number of unions and the number of awards and the crossover with federal and state jurisdictions.
"What we want to do is make sure that what is fair and reasonable is addressed swiftly, therefore any unnecessary inconvenience to the commuters doesn't occur,.
"But I'm certainly not going to say that it will be sugar and cream for the rest of the year."
The union said it had reached an agreement on two issues - that there be no "driver only" trains in NSW, and risk assessments for new trains be "fully transparent" and looked over by a third party.
The minister will continue to engage with the combined rail unions and address their concerns as they negotiate their enterprise agreement.
The agreement between the minister and the union was a "win" for thousands of rail workers who had been at the negotiating table for a year, Alex Claassens, secretary of the RTBU NSW said.
"At the same time, rail workers should not have to fight this hard for common sense safety measures on our railways.
"We are hopeful that bargaining with NSW and Sydney Trains will now be more productive and management will agree to negotiate on the rest of workers' important safety claims."
The union apologised to people who had experienced travel delays.
