As we roll into the second half of 2026, it’s a good time to take stock of the progress we’re making together as a national union.

This year marks a significant milestone. It was 165 years ago that 20 Victorian train drivers stood together to improve their working conditions. 

That spirit of solidarity is at the heart of who we are and drives our work today.  Over the past six months, we have delivered strong outcomes for members through bargaining national agreements, rail law reform and campaigning to secure clean, safe and accessible toilet facilities for transport workers. 

Click here to read more about what your national union has been working on. 

In accordance with our union’s rules, elections will be held for than 800 positions nationally and across our six state branches. Nominations open on 6 July 2026 and close at 5:00 pm, 27 July 2026.  I encourage every member to take part in shaping the future of our union. You can find information on positions and the election at www.rtbu.org.au/2026_election. 

To celebrate 165 years of unity, we recently unveiled a new banner at the Labour Day march in Brisbane that represents every part of our union. From there, it travelled to Adelaide for our peak national meeting. Over the coming months, we’ll be taking it around the country, so keep an eye out; it could be coming to your state soon. 

As a national union, we continue to make every day count and deliver improvements for workers across the rail, tram and bus industry. 

Thank you for your continued work, and here’s to another six months of making union history.

Alex Claassens

National Secretary