Chris Minns slams rail union ‘blackmail’ as industrial action continues to disrupt Sydney network
Commuters may get an easier train trip home today after disruptions this morning, but nobody knows what Tuesday will bring as premier Chris Minns vows he won’t bow to union “blackmail”.
NSW
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Commuters are set to receive some respite for Monday afternoon’s commute after days of disruption on Sydney’s train network, with Transport for NSW expecting services to be “relatively stable” for the afternoon peak.
While the state’s transport body would not confirm the exact number of services that had been cancelled, a search of live public transport data showed relatively few disruptions.
For commuters travelling out west, four services scheduled to run from Central to Parramatta between 4pm and 6pm had been cancelled, but real-time data on the TripView app showed most were running on time.
Similarly for those heading north, just four services from Central to Hornsby had been cancelled.
Live data for services from the CBD and Cronulla showed travellers heading south were likely to have a clean run, with no reported cancellations in the same time period.
However, the relief could be temporary, with a Transport for NSW spokeswoman saying she was “unsure” what level of disruption commuters were likely to encounter on Tuesday.
“It will depend on whether people start turning up for their shifts”, she said.
‘PLAYING US FOR MUGS’: MINNS SLAMS UNION
NSW Premier Chris Minns has vowed he will not bow to rail union demands, insisting the government cannot “give in to blackmail” as hundreds of train services were again disrupted across the network on Monday.
Minns said despite “significant” disruptions, handing over a “blank cheque” to the union would only lead to further industrial action down the track.
“If we were to continue endless negotiations or even pay heed and accept the latest hairbrained idea from the union, it would mean more industrial disruptions,” he said on Monday.
“It might be in three months, or six months or 12 months, but it would only embolden them, and you’d have more disruptions on our railways.”
Minns dismissed some of the union’s claims as “ridiculous” and said they were underestimating the public’s awareness of the situation.
“I mean, clearly it’s ridiculous, and I think ultimately they think everybody in Sydney is stupid, or that they’re getting away with it when everyone’s onto them,” he said.
He said he hoped the Fair Work Commission would intervene to “end this circus” but stressed the government had contingency plans in place.
“We are on the side of commuters here. It’s very reasonable for me to say I could solve this dispute this afternoon by handing over a blank cheque to the union and agreeing to their latest outrageous claims, but it wouldn’t solve it permanently,” he said.
“That might be in the interest of the Labor Party, but it would not be in the interest of the people of NSW.”
Minns also took aim at what he described as the union’s “outrageous” demands, including calls to be paid while taking strike action.
“Their latest demand is that they want to be paid when they take strike action, and they’re outraged that the NSW government would say, ‘Well, we don’t do that for nurses, and we don’t do that for teachers, we don’t do that for police officers or paramedics, but we’re going to have a special exemption for rail workers’,” he said.
“I promise you, that’s an invitation for chaos — longer-term chaos — on the transport network, even though I accept at the moment it’s far from ideal, far from what we need.”
He accused the union of “trying to play us all for mugs.”
HUNDREDS OF CANCELLATIONS
More than 300 train services were cancelled after hundreds of rail staff did not report for their shifts on Monday morning, with a transport representative saying the afternoon peak may be even worse.
Transport for NSW confirmed 197 Sydney Trains and NSW TrainLink train drivers and guards were absent as of 5am, with the number expected to increase throughout the day.
A Transport for NSW spokesman said 335 train services had been cancelled so far.
Train commuters have been urged to make alternative travel arrangements.
Despite the cancellations and delays, Sydney Trains Chief Executive Matt Longland said the majority of services were on time on Monday morning, however he said the situation was “unpredictable” and could deteriorate as the day progresses.
“We want to apologise to passengers caught up in this ongoing industrial action. The news today is that about 90 per cent of our timetable is operating,” he said on the Today show.
“We’ve got no major delays across all train lines at the moment, but the situation is unpredictable and we may see conditions deteriorate later today.”
The T1 line from Penrith and Parramatta was experiencing minor delays with an on-time rate of 66 per cent, while the T3 line from Liverpool was at 60 per cent.
The T5 line saw the most disruption, with only 50 per cent of trains running on time, whereas the T8 Airport & South line were more promising at 88 per cent.
The T6 Lidcombe and Bankstown line was also experiencing delays, with only 50 per cent of trains running on time.
The ongoing disruptions were triggered after the Minns government lost its case in the Fair Work Commission, which found that staff calling in sick and skipping shifts was not evidence of industrial action.
Business NSW chief Dan Hunter warned that even the “threat of strikes causes chaos.”
“Following Friday’s disruptions, the risk of further strikes will have a huge impact throughout the week, affecting customer traffic across the city,” he said.
Between Friday and Sunday, 1525 train drivers and guards were absent, leading to 3935 train services being cancelled or delayed.
Sydney Trains and NSW TrainLink acknowledged the impact of the strike but thanked staff who reported for duty.
“Sydney Trains and NSW TrainLink would like to thank those crew who have turned up to their shifts today to help us move passengers around our city and state,” a statement said.
“Sydney Trains and NSW TrainLink apologise to our passengers once again for the ongoing disruption and thank our staff who are working hard to minimise the impacts of industrial action.”
Passengers, particularly parents of schoolchildren, have been advised to seek alternative travel options.
“For parents of schoolchildren who would normally catch the train, our advice is to arrange alternative travel if possible, and schools have been notified of the disruption.”
The matter will be back in the Fair Work Commission for a full bench hearing on Wednesday.
Arncliffe local Donovan Boxall told The Daily Telegraph he had been forced to use alternative modes of public transport to get to work, instead of his usual train to Martin Place.
Mr Boxall caught a train into Central before switching to the light rail.
“I had work colleagues who waited half an hour for (a) train (on Friday) and they decided to pull up stumps and work from home,” he said.
Mr Boxall said that while “the socialist in me” supported the union’s standing up for their rights, the requests from the rail union were “unviable” and public support was dwindling.
It comes as the Rail, Tram and Bus Union (RTBU) state secretary Toby Warnes insisted rail workers were prepared to do their jobs.
“As the Fair Work Commission very clearly found, there is no co-ordinated plan not to turn up to work,” Mr. Warnes said on Monday.
He placed responsibility for the ongoing uncertainty on the NSW Government, pointing to Friday’s disruptions.
“The NSW Government is responsible for the uncertainty we experienced on Friday, and it will be responsible for any uncertainty we experience this week,” he said.
“The NSW Government has the ability to ensure train services run smoothly this week. We’re urging them to give commuters certainty and not to deliberately disrupt the network.”
He also called on the government to return to negotiations and to put an end to “threats to lock out workers and dock their pay.”
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