Two words behind Sydney’s train chaos as services cancelled across the city

Two little words are reportedly behind the decision to cancel all of Sydney’s train services, leaving hundreds of commuters stranded across the city.

Two words in an enterprise agreement are believed to be the catalyst for Sydney’s train chaos today, which has seen hundreds of commuters stranded across the city.

A breakdown in negotiations between the NSW government and the Rail Tram and Bus Union (RTBU) late last night has resulted in all train services on the Sydney Train lines and intercity RailLink line being cancelled.

The NSW government and the RTBU have been exchanging public blows this morning, with each shifting the blame for the cancelled trains.

Transport for NSW have said the decision is the result of industrial action from the union, with Transport Minister David Elliot accusing workers of “hijacking the city”.

However, the RTBU say the planned industrial action wouldn’t impact commuters and the trains have been cancelled by the government as part of a “dummy spit”.

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Trains stations across the city have been closed today. Picture: Toby Zerna

Trains have been cancelled ‘until further notice’. Picture: Tara Choyce/Twitter

Speaking at a press conference on Monday morning, RTBU NSW Secretary Alex Claassens revealed two words in the enterprise agreement sparked the breakdown in negotiations.

“There was still a lot of confusion around an item called ‘altered working’. So two little words, which mean a lot for railway people and for obviously lawyers – they can’t get their head around it – and obviously for the managers of this railway unfortunately,” he said.

“Which is really disappointing because we all understand what altered working is. That is the working that is provided to people when they start their shift, working that has been given to them days in advance so they know what they are doing during the course of their shift.”

Mr Claassens said railway workers rarely do the same job two days in a row and therefore need to be given that instruction every day.

He said the RTBU and the NSW government came to an agreement on Saturday night, which resulted in the union agreeing to drop some of the industrial actions that they had planned for today.

However, 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.

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

What are rail workers calling for?

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.

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 to 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”.

Commuters are seen outside of Central Station. Picture: Flavio Brancaleone/NCA NewsWire

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

He made it clear that workers were not on strike, revealing 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.”

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.

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

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

— Clinton Maynard (@ClintMaynard2GB) February 20, 2022

Train cancellations blamed on safety concerns

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.”

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”.

Transport Minister David Elliott also issued a furious response to the train chaos, accusing 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 told 2GB, 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.”