Sydney rail commuters are in for another tricky day on public transport today due to the flow-on effects of industrial action.
On Monday, the Rail, Tram and Bus Union (RTBU) were set to resume industrial action in its bid for higher pay and 24-hour train services following more than two weeks of unsuccessful negotiations with the State government. As a result, the RTBU had plans to put a limit on the distance each driver or train guard could travel per day if an agreement wasn’t reached.
This would have created huge delays by limiting how many trains could operate per day, especially in the Sydney CBD.
With threats of delays looming for commuters, the Minns government stepped in and sought an injunction in the federal court to stop the strike from going ahead late Sunday night due to the cumulative effect the changes would’ve had on the rail system.
However, according to a spokesperson for Premier Chris Minns, the last-minute Sunday night injunction meant that “some impacts on the network on Monday that could not be undone in time”.
Transport for NSW has confirmed that major disruptions are to be expected due to “delays and cancellations”.
These delays are to be expected across the T1 North Shore and Western, T2 Leppington and Inner West, T3 Liverpool and Inner West and T8 Airport and South lines.
Transport Minister Jo Haylen told reporters she was disappointed that a deal with the RTBU hasn’t been struck yet, but is determined to reach an agreement.
“After two weeks of exhaustive daily negotiations we weren’t able to come to a fair deal with the unions … despite the government’s best efforts,” she said, per the ABC.
“The government is pleased that we do have some certainty for commuters though, particularly as we head towards the very busy Christmas and New Year period.”
Meanwhile, Minns has commented on struggling to come to a deal with the RTBU whilst being stuck in the middle of disputes with the Nurses and Midwives Association over pay demands.
“At the end of the day, I can’t say yes to the rail unions whilst at the same time say no to the nurses union and other unions reaching reasonable settlements over the course of 2024,” he said, per the Sydney Morning Herald.
The government is currently offering the RTBU a wage rise of 9.5 per cent over three years. It also offered another cheeky 0.5 per cent in the first year if a deal was struck in a “timely manner” but who knows if that bonus is still in play after multiple disruptions and hefty negotiations.
The RTBU is asking for a 32 per cent pay rise over four years which is significantly higher than what the government is offering.
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