Delays between Redfern and CBD after controversial industrial action by Electrical Trades Union

Sydney train services have been delayed for up to 10 minutes between Redfern and the CBD due to controversial industrial action by the Electrical Trades Union.

Sydney train services have been delayed for up to 10 minutes between Redfern and the CBD due to controversial industrial action by the Electrical Trades Union.

The ETU announced separate action earlier this week for Essential Energy workers, in which it was planning 72-hour work stoppages every week until Christmas, in a major escalation of a bitter wage dispute worth $275 million.

The ETU is asking for a 24 per cent wage increase over three years plus super. It has also asked for more than 150 other items including a wet weather allowance that would see sparkies working in the rain paid double.

Sydney Trains CEO Matthew Longland told Ben Fordham on 2GB that due to bans in place by the ETU, critical maintenance in the Redfern area “didn’t happen” and “as a result we’ve had some impacts” on routing trains into Sydney terminals.

“So intercity and regional services, but that’s also flowing now onto some of the western services coming along and through to the north shore,” he said.

ETU NSW/ACT Secretary Allen Hicks outside the Fair Work Commission on William Street in Sydney on Monday. Picture: Richard Dobson

“So delays of about five to 10 minutes at the moment, but we’re watching it carefully at the (moment).”

Mr Longland said there were “five unions in this negotiation that we’re working through at the moment” which was a “complex process”.

He added it was a matter of “doing our best” and the particular industrial action by the ETU was “difficult to predict when it will impact on the crews that are doing the maintenance as to whether they’re applying the bans or not”.

“Thankfully we’ve managed to work our way through it to this point, but we’ve managed to work our way through it to this point, but we are seeing some impacts today,” Mr Longland said.

He explained Sydney Trains is continuing to meet with all five unions and wants to “minimise any impacts” on their customers.