Business owners share fury after copping staggering loss from train chaos

The enormous drain on the NSW economy of this week’s train chaos has been revealed, and it’s the last thing businesses need.

The staggering cost of the NSW train chaos on the state’s economy has been revealed.

According to Business NSW analysts, the significant delays caused by the industrial action cost the economy up to $49m every 24 hours.

“Members are telling us that this is the last thing they need. Hospitality businesses are seeing mass cancellations of bookings. Foot traffic in the city is less than half,” Business NSW executive director David Harding told NewsWire.

“One cafe owner told me this morning, ‘I am on the train before dawn every morning to open up. To get here and have next to no customers – and then to have to throw out hundreds upon hundreds of dollars worth of food – is really hard to take’.”

Business NSW executive director David Harding says business owners are furious. Picture: Supplied

His comments come after the industrial action, which has crippled the city in recent days, was paused on Thursday pending arbitration between the NSW government and unions over a new pay deal for rail workers.

On Wednesday, more than 1000 train services were reduced, and the cancellations persisted into Thursday.

In a late decision on Thursday, the Fair Work Commission released an interim order preventing unions from interfering with train services from 6.30pm on Thursday ahead of a formal hearing scheduled for the end of next week.

“Business NSW is actively assisting the NSW government’s efforts in the Fair Work Commission to torpedo this industrial action,” Mr Harding said.

“We are gathering testimony from affected business owners across Greater Sydney. We will share that with the government and the public in the coming days.

Premier Chris Minns, who came back from holidays early because of the industrial action, said negotiations would have proceeded drama free had the union not crippled the city.

“But when the union says negotiations, what they really mean is that they’re going to continue to put a noose around the public transport system while demanding more and more and more money from the NSW government,” he said.

NSW Premier Chris Minns says Sydney residents have had enough. Picture: NewsWire/ Gaye Gerard

According to Transport NSW, Sydney Trains drivers earn $128,196 a year, but the Rail, Tram and Bus Union claims the base salary is $50,000 less at $78,388.

Their demand for a 32 per cent pay rise would earn the drivers $157,081 in the first year if granted, but the government said it was only prepared to offer 15 per cent.

“A lot of workers could only dream of the sorts of pay rises being thrown at RTBU members,” Mr Harding said.

“It’s time they just accepted the offer and let the city get back to normal.”

In an update provided Friday afternoon, transport minister Jo Haylen said 90 percent of services were now running normally.

“I know passangers will be pleased about that. We want them to have confidence to choose public transport and they can do that now thanks to the actions of the Fair Work Commission.”

Speaking about the government’s upcoming case against the union before the full bench of the commission, Mrs Haylen said “We are preparing our case on the basis of economic and community harm to be considered by the commission next week”.

Originally published as Business owners share fury after copping staggering loss from train chaos