‘Union thuggery’: Metro delay costing $40 million in productivity a week
More than $4 billion worth of new trains have been sitting unused in storage for years. With no date in sight for when they’ll finally be in service.
NSW
Don't miss out on the headlines from NSW. Followed categories will be added to My News.
It was meant to be a transport system the envy of the world, but union activism has brought Sydney’s new train fleet and metro to a halt, with the delay costing the NSW economy more than $40 million a week.
The shocking figure comes as the firefighters’ union — which NSW deputy Liberal leader Natalie Ward on Thursday accused of “union thuggery” over its role in the delay of the Metro City line opening — refused to rule out taking further action which could set back the $21.6bn project further.
“The Fire Brigade Employees Union (FBEU) will do whatever it takes to make metro tunnels safe for firefighters and the public,” the FBEU NSW secretary Leighton Drury told The Telegraph
“If this doesn’t occur, then we’ll be keeping our firefighters out of the tunnels to keep them safe.”
It comes as the New Intercity Fleet (NIF) — a $4bn set of trains and carriages destined to travel between Sydney, Newcastle, Wollongong and the Blue Mountains — hits an unwanted five-year milestone of delay, with no date in sight for the new rolling stock to enter service.
The NIF was plagued by years of delay after the Rail, Tram and Bus Union (RTBU) fought against perceived safety issues with the fleet, including that doors wouldn’t open to allow guards to check platforms were clear.
Ms Ward, the Opposition’s transport spokeswoman, on Thursday launched a fiery broadside at the rail and firefighters’ unions for the hold-ups to both the metro and the NIF.
“Union ransoms are costing this state and the government wants punters to cop it,” she said, adding that unions “call the shots and the Minns government sings for its supper”.
“Who is running this city? It looks like the unions have a pretty tight leash on the Minns government.”
Transport Minister Jo Haylen earlier this week also conceded “industrial action” was a key reason for the delay to the Metro City launch, after the FBEU refused to take part in safety drills in July which ultimately set back the line getting final sign-off from the rail safety regulator.
FBEU members did participate in final drills this week on the line, with Sydney Metro confirming one Fire and Rescue employee experienced “a minor electric shock” in the drill which would be investigated.
It comes amid revelations the temporary shuttering of the City Metro, which was set to transport passengers between Chatswood and Sydenham on driverless trains on Sunday, is scuppering $40m worth of economic benefit to Sydney each week.
A final business case for the City and South West Metro in 2016 said any delays to the project were worth $2 billion a year in lost economic benefits.
The $2b hit equals out to almost $40m per week, with no new launch date given yet for the metro, other than Premier Chris Minns saying earlier this week he expected the service up and running “within weeks”.
A spokesman for Ms Haylen fired back at Ms Ward, saying: “Desperate politics and personal attacks from the Liberals won’t do a single thing to get the metro open.”
He confirmed a date for the NIF fleet opening was yet to be set, but said it would be before the end of the year.
“The Liberals spent billions of dollars building these trains overseas and then delivered a year of industrial chaos on our train network, but they could never get these trains onto the tracks,” he said.
RTBU NSW secretary Toby Warnes said it was “ridiculous and blatantly untrue to say that industrial action has held up these projects”.
“For a politician of any persuasion to suggest that workers standing up for safety is somehow a bad thing shows a complete disconnect with the needs and priorities of the people of NSW,” he said.
Do you know more? Message 0481 056 618 or email tips@dailytelegraph.com.au
More Coverage
Join the conversation
Rappers’ prison brawl ‘linked’ to drive-by shooting: Police
Police have linked a drive-by shooting to an alleged prison fight between two rappers. CCTV footage from the night of the shooting has been released.
Read more
New survey: 90pc of parents demand action on social media
Parents have overwhelmingly backed age limits stopping kids accessing social media until they hit 16, according to a state government survey of more than 21,000 people.
Read more