‘Captive to the unions’: Criticism mounts as Sydney train shutdown looms from Friday

The NSW government has ruled out cancelling the planned closure of much of Sydney’s new driverless metro line for major maintenance this weekend despite facing a shutdown of the rest of the city’s rail network due to a major industrial dispute.

The decision came as Transport Minister Jo Haylen again called on the Rail Tram and Bus Union to drop critical work bans ahead of a meeting with union leaders at 2.30pm on Wednesday at state parliament.

If the escalating dispute cannot be resolved, a shutdown of the suburban rail network, which carries a million people a day, will begin in the early hours of Friday morning and last until early Sunday morning.

Transport Minister Jo Haylen again called on Wednesday for the union to drop key work bans.Credit: Kate Geraghty

While keeping the entire M1 metro open this weekend would provide some relief for commuters, Haylen said cancelling the essential maintenance planned for the line between Chatswood and Sydenham would come at a “significant cost to taxpayers”.

The government is keeping open the option of taking the dispute to the industrial umpire, although Haylen said she wanted to resolve the stand-off by negotiation with the unions.

“The former government took that type of action, and it was a failed strategy. I don’t want to be taking action that actually drives the parties apart and prolongs this dispute. We are meeting this afternoon with union leadership to progress just that,” she said.

Crowds are often hectic after major events at Olympic Park. Pictured: Scenes after the Women’s World Cup semi-final.Credit: Brandon Nguyen

Premier Chris Minns also spoke to Unions NSW secretary Mark Morey and the head of the Rail Tram and Bus Union (RTBU) on Wednesday morning.

However, RTBU state secretary Toby Warnes said he hoped that the government would table an improved counter-offer to the unions during negotiations on Wednesday afternoon.

“We’re not holding our breath. All we’re hoping for this afternoon is to resolve the immediate issue, and if we can work towards reaching a final bargaining that puts this all this behind us,” he said.

“I’m hoping when we meet with the minister this afternoon, and potentially the premier, we’re able to progress those discussions. We want to get this deal done.”

He defended his union’s demands for 24-hour services, claiming that the government seemed intent on pushing ahead with its plans to shut down the network.

At a last-minute meeting between the RTBU and Sydney Trains at 5.30pm on Tuesday, both parties failed to reach an agreement on the union’s demands to run a 24-hour train service and a 32 per cent pay rise over four years. The government has offered rail workers a wage increase of 9.5 per cent over three years, which the union has rejected.

Train services were originally meant to stop at 10pm on Thursday but will now cease about 4.15am on Friday. A negotiated outcome means the Pearl Jam concert at Sydney Olympic Park on Thursday night will be serviced by 86 special event trains.

The network shutdown – if it goes ahead – means soccer fans will have to make their own way to Moore Park on Friday and Saturday for four A-League games.

On Friday, Allianz Stadium will host the clash between Perth Glory and Western United before Newcastle Jets take on the Central Coast Mariners. On Saturday, the same venue hosts Brisbane Roar v Adelaide United before a local blockbuster rivalry between Sydney FC and Western Sydney Wanderers.

NSW Opposition Leader Mark Speakman accused the premier of failing to condemn the “industrial chaos” caused by the rail union which could last for weeks.

“This is a government that is captive to the unions, and that’s why the premier won’t condemn the rail unions. This is industrial chaos that Chris Minns has created because the unions know he’s weak,” he said.

The RTBU has threatened an indefinite ban on any work by its members unless the government runs 24-hour train services on Sydney’s rail network from Thursdays to Sundays.

It has also enforced a restriction on the distance each driver or guard can travel each day, severely limiting the range services can operate, especially intercity trains which run on lines such as from Sydney to Newcastle or Wollongong.

Sydney Trains said more than 100 services were delayed or cancelled on Tuesday, and intercity lines such as from Gosford to Sydney suffered more cancellations on Wednesday morning.

The slowly intensifying industrial impasse had been seen off by the government last weekend after it temporarily ceded to union demands to operate 24-hour services.

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