Commuters face major disruptions to Sydney light rail services

Sydney’s light rail services will stop for up to four hours on Wednesday during peak periods after a breakdown in negotiations over a new pay deal for several hundred tram workers.

Days after the weeks-long Vivid Festival started, commuters also face disruptions to services from Tuesday due to staff employed by French company Transdev driving trams more slowly than usual and refusing to work overtime as part of protected industrial action.

Two work stoppages will take place on Wednesday between 8am and 10am, and 4pm and 6pm, bringing trams to a halt. Transdev has warned that services could be disrupted up to an hour before each of the stoppages.

Commuters face major disruptions to light rail services on Wednesday.Credit: Louise Kennerley

The industrial action will disrupt services on the L1 line from Central Station to Dulwich Hill, as well as the L2 and L3 lines from Circular Quay to Randwick and Kingsford respectively.

The negotiations between Transdev and the Rail, Tram and Bus Union, which represents drivers and other operational staff, have been under way for months but reached an impasse late last week. The last enterprise agreement expired in November.

The union’s tram and bus division secretary, David Babineau, said a sticking point had been Transdev’s refusal to pay staff on Parramatta’s new light rail line, which is due to open in August, the same as those on Sydney’s existing light rail lines.

Under the arrangements, workers were paid about $2.50 an hour less than staff on the L1 line, and about $5 an hour less than those on the L2 and L3 lines, Babineau said.

Transdev has offered a 5 per cent increase in the first year, followed by annual rises of 3 per cent in the three following years. The company is contracted by the state government to operate Sydney’s light rail services.

However, Babineau said members had rejected the offer because it was not enough after a period of high inflation, and given the productivity gains delivered by workers.

“Workers from all areas of Sydney are doing it tough. The company needs to recognise these financial pressures in order to get an agreement,” he said.

More than 98 per cent of the workforce voted to take protected industrial action, which also includes refusals to wear uniforms. A refusal to check passengers’ tickets will last for 24 hours from Tuesday, while the other actions are ongoing.

Transdev Sydney managing director Arsene Durand-Raucher urged customers to plan ahead and consider other transport on Wednesday or, if possible, avoid non-essential travel on trams.

“We’ve alerted schools located near the light rail, and on the day, we will have as many personnel as possible on the ground to help manage the disruption,” he said.

Transport for NSW said it was working with bus operators to organise services to carry passengers disrupted by the industrial action.

“We will let the community and schools know as soon as possible once alternative transport plans for students are arranged,” the agency said.

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