Sydney commuters will receive free train travel for a week to stop industrial action
Sydney commuters will be able to travel for free on the rail network to close down the threat of further industrial action.
NSW
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Sydneysiders will enjoy a week of free travel as Premier Dominic Perrottet moved to stop industrial action that would cripple the rail network.
Just hours after the Rail Tram and Bus Union threatened to run the train network at just 30 per cent capacity on Monday and Friday the Premier agreed to give commuters free travel.
Union boss Alex Claassens has confirmed the timetable will run as normal next week in response to the free travel week.
Mr Perrottet said the free travel would be from Monday to Friday next week.
“I want this situation fixed, I’ve made that very clear,” he said.
“This has gone on for way too long … providing free travel for the week will ensure that industrial action does not occur.”
Earlier on Friday Mr Claassens said the union would run the train network to a weekend timetable on Monday and Friday after a meeting with the Premier failed to bring a resolution.
“In the event that the government wants to give people a fare free day, that will lift our industrial action on that day,” he said.
The RTBU is currently waiting a hearing in the Fair Work Commission over plans to turn off Opal readers at train stations.
The union refuses to budge on their industrial action campaign until the government signs a deed to alter the New Intercity Fleet of trains, which the union says is unsafe.
The government previously agreed to alter the trains on the condition the union accept a proposed enterprise agreement, which the RTBU did not agree to.
The union wants the issue of the NIF and pay to be dealt with separately.
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