NSW Premier slams Sydney train chaos as a ‘coordinated attack’

Premier Dominic Perrottet has made a stunning accusation after the NSW government cancelled all Sydney train services in a shock late-night decision.

Sydney’s public transport system has been thrown into chaos today, with all train services being brought to a halt.

A breakdown in talks between the NSW Government and the Rail Tram and Bus Union (RTBU) has resulted in all services on the Sydney Train lines and intercity RailLink line being cancelled.

Transport for NSW have said the decision is the result of industrial action, however the RTBU say the planned industrial action wouldn’t impact commuters and the trains have been cancelled by the government in “retaliation”.

The government and the union have been exchanging blows this morning, with Premier Dominic Perrottet branding the situation a “coordinated attack” by the Labor Party and RTBU.

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NSW Premier Dominic Perrottet addresses the media at Sydney's International Airport. Picture: Lisa Maree Williams/Getty Images

“This is no accident. This is a concerted campaign by the unions and the Labor Party to cause mass disruption across our city. They are not even hiding it,” Mr Perrottet told reporters.

“Today is the first day we have international arrivals coming in, a day where mums and dads are trying to get their kids to school, a day when many university students are going back to class for the first time and many people as a result of our announcement last week returning to work.

“The unions were intent on causing chaos.”

Mr Perrottet confirmed that the decision to cancel the trains had been made by Transport for NSW, but claimed they were “left with no alternative in terms of safety”.

He said he was incredibly disappointed with what has occurred this morning, saying the union’s wrong interpretation of the decision made by the Industrial Relations Commission is to blame for the action taken by Sydney Trains.

“This is a concerted, predetermined campaign by the union movement,” he said.

“You cannot treat the people of our great state in this way and it is very, very clear that this is the Labor Party in bed with the union movement to cause mass disruption.”

It comes as Channel 7 reporter Amelia Brace revealed the Fair Work Commission hearing has adjourned until 11am Wednesday, meaning Tuesday train services are likely off the cards.

I’m hearing train services will be cancelled again tomorrow. https://t.co/E58itYxB4X

— Amelia Brace (@AmeliaBrace) February 21, 2022

Commuters are seen outside of Central Station following the train cancellations. Picture: NCA NewsWire/Flavio Brancaleone

The decision to cancel the trains was made just before 2am, meaning commuters who rely on the train services have been left scrambling to find alternative transport.

At this stage no train replacement buses have been organised to help commuters, with people being told to find their own alternative transport arrangements.

The impacted lines include the Airport and South Line, Bankstown Line, Blue Mountains Line, Central Coast & Newcastle Line, Cumberland Line, Eastern Suburbs & Illawarra Line, Hunter Line, Inner West & Leppington Line, North Shore Line, Northern Line, Olympic Park, South Coast Line, Southern Highlands Line and the Western Line.

Ferry and Light Rails services are understood to be operating as usual.

NSW government accused of ‘dummy spit’

RTBU NSW Secretary Alex Claassens made it clear on Monday morning that the cancelled trains was not the result of a worker strike, branding it a “dummy spit” from the NSW government.

Speaking at a press conference at Central Station, Mr Claassens said when staff turned up for work this morning they were told by management that the trains had been cancelled.

He revealed that late on Saturday night they came to an agreement with the NSW government surrounding the enterprise agreement, which resulted in the union agreeing to drop some of the industrial actions that they had planned for today.

@T1SydneyTrains did I miss a notice or something because this is what I saw this morning when I got to the train station? #sydneytrains#publictransportpic.twitter.com/XwdfZf53ch

— Tara Choyce (@ChoyceTara) February 20, 2022

Wow just heard about strike by sydney trains staff. Im working from home today but 3 of my team mates are supposed to work in the office and i dont think they have other means to get to work...

— rebecca (@endorwitch) February 20, 2022

Mr Claassens said he then received a call on Sunday night saying the government was once again trying to terminate the enterprise agreement.

“You can imagine the shock this morning waking up and knowing that the government had just done the most low and dastardly thing you can imagine the government doing. They have locked out their workforce and they have inconvenienced the people of NSW just because it was going to be a little bit difficult,” he told reporters.

The union says the key sticking points in the current enterprise agreement are around privatisation, safety claims and hygiene.

Workers want a commitment that no train services or lines will be lost in the event of privatisation, they want a guarantee any changes to services will leave them just as safe or safer and they want a commitment to maintaining the existing level of hygiene.

Mr Claassens also blasted suggestions that the workers had created an “unsafe situation” which resulted in the trains being cancelled.

“If you are ever going to get railway people angry it is by accusing us of doing an unsafe act,” he said.

“There is no way me or anybody out there working on the railway would do anything to jeopardise the safety of this railway.”

Confused commuters at Wolli Creek after all trains were cancelled across Sydney on Monday morning. Picture: 7News

Bus stops were crowded with frustrated commuters this morning, who had been barred from entering train stations and directed away by station staff.

“Imagine how bad it’ll be this evening on the way back,” one traveller remarked. When asked how they were feeling about the situation, another coldly responded: “Yeah, I’ve had better mornings.”

Station staff told news.com.au they were “just as frustrated as everyone else”.

Commuters on buses could be seen tracking their location on their phones as they rode along routes with which they were clearly unfamiliar.

Traffic times have also started to climb, with Google Maps traffic data just after 8am showing it now takes more than an hour to drive into the city from the outer suburbs of Sydney, with toll-free routes experiencing the most congestion.

‘Hijacking the city’: Government hits back at union

Transport Minister David Elliottt has issued a furious response to the RTBU, refuting claims that the government is to blame for the trains being cancelled.

Speaking on 2GB, Mr Elliott accused rail workers of “hijacking the city”, even going as far as to brand their actions “terrorist-like”.

“Them blaming me for this is just absolute crap, why would I want the city inconvenienced?” Mr Elliott said, branding their actions “unAustralian”.

“I’m so furious at their spin and their lies. I think we’re going to have a large standoff because they can’t use the city’s transport system for some sort of terrorist like activity.”

The decision to cancel all train services was made just before 2am. Picture: 7News

Earlier this morning Sydney Trains CEO Matthew Longland said they were working hard to find a solution but encouraged people to avoid travel.

“This action really is the result of union members, train drivers and guards refusing to work their scheduled roster, which means we can’t put trains into service,” he told 2GB.

“We‘ve been working on this over the weekend, we had a matter (heard) at the Fair Work Commission on Saturday, we believed we had an outcome that we would be able to run trains today, unfortunately that hasn’t been the case.”

Mr Longland said it was going to be a “very long and difficult day”.

Sydney Trains and the NSW Govt lost in the Fair Work Comission about the minor industrial action which is protected. They have chucked a tantrum and shut down the entire network. THIS IS NOT A STRIKE. pic.twitter.com/BGRv3Aw6xw

— Emma (@TheEmmyLou) February 20, 2022

Transport for NSW said it was made apparent late last night that the Sydney train services would not be able to operate safely today.

“It was clear at midnight following a weekend of intensive negotiations between Transport for NSW, NSW TrainLink and the RTBU, that Sydney Trains and NSW TrainLink would not be able to safely operate train services,” Transport for NSW said in a statement this morning.

“This was a difficult decision to make but we cannot and will not compromise on safety.

“We apologise to customers for what is clearly an unacceptable course of action.”

The NSW branch of the RTBU said workers were not on strike and that it was the government’s decision to shut down the train services.

The union said the decision was in retaliation to a partial work ban and that its members are ready to work and “have been all night”.

PSA: if you’re in Sydney, you won’t be able to get a train anywhere today. Thank goodness for #wfh! #sydneytrainspic.twitter.com/L20s2TBNUK

— Coralie Richards (@UnderwaterCoral) February 20, 2022

Town Hall Station completely closed with all Sydney trains suspended. @2GB873pic.twitter.com/Q5WqRaSBbC

— Clinton Maynard (@ClintMaynard2GB) February 20, 2022

‘New low’ in ongoing negotiations

In a statement sent out late last night, RTBU said workers would push ahead with planned industrial action today, despite the government’s “shocking attempt silence workers by blocking their legal industrial action”.

Starting 12.01am on Monday and running for two weeks, workers will take part in a ban on “altered working”, meaning that they perform the shifts they are set without any changes.

Mr Claassens said the planned industrial action would only impact transport management and commuters wouldn’t notice the changes, adding if commuters were impacted then it would be the result of the NSW government “trying to make a point”.

He revealed when staff turned up for work this morning they were informed by management that the trains would not be running today.

“This is a dummy spit from the NSW Government,” Mr Claassens said.

“We’re ready to drive the trains whenever the NSW Government will let us.

“All members were at work, ready to work. They were ready and waiting to crew the trains only to be told the trains aren’t running today. There is no impediment, only stubbornness on behalf of the NSW Government.”

He said there was no strike and workers were simply trying to perform their set shifts without any changes.

Mr Claassens said the state government’s approach to negotiations has been bitterly disappointing, claiming they have used a heavy-handed, expensive legal approach in a bid to “silence workers”, branding the move a “new low”.

NSW secretary of the RTBU Alex Claassens said the decision to shut down train services has come from the NSW government. Picture: Steven Saphore/AAP

“We don’t have any choice but to continue to take action. We’re choosing not to strike at this point, but we’re hoping that our actions will finally make the NSW Government listen. We’ve been trying to negotiate for many, many months, but the NSW Government has shown time and again that it is simply not interested in listening to the genuine concerns of workers,” he said.

“Rail workers are the ones helping and protecting the travelling public every day. We chose these industrial actions so they could send a message to transport management while still running train services and helping people get by.

“It’s time the NSW Government stopped trying to bully workers into submission and starting resolving the laundry list of safety and employment issues workers have raised.”

Deputy Prime Minister Barnaby Joyce has weighed in on the situation, claiming rail workers were being “deliberately provocative”.

“They are being deliberately provocative and belligerent, making sure that Sydney is shut down,” he told Sunrise on Monday morning, adding it will cause traffic chaos.

“When you call a strike at two in the morning, you are picking a fight … and being a bully,” Mr Joyce added, despite the union already stating workers were not striking.

Last week the NSW government announced that train services would return to a weekday timetable from February 28 to accommodate for the expected rise in people returning to the office.

Public transport has been running on a reduced timetable due to the latest Omicron Covid wave resulting in staff shortages.

Transport Minister David Elliottt said last week that the number of people using Sydney train services climbed by seven per cent compared to the previous week.