Sydney’s commuter pain to return as rail unions warn of work bans

Sydney commuters face a resumption of disruption to the passenger train network after rail unions notified the state Labor government that a raft of major work bans will begin next week.

After a ceasefire over the Christmas-New Year period in the bitter pay dispute, the Rail, Tram and Bus Union (RTBU) will restart at least eight major work bans from January 15, including a reduction in speeds on sections of track where trains can usually travel more than 80 km/h.

Disruptions to Sydney’s train network from industrial action are set to resume next week.Credit: Edwina Pickles

A ban will also be placed on RTBU members at Sydney Trains and NSW Trains working with contractors, while another will prevent work on reinstating train services if they have been cancelled.

While the industrial action will pile pressure back on the government in negotiations, it is poised to inconvenience the travelling public as more people return to work from summer holidays. At least initially, they are not expected to be as disruptive as actions in the lead-up to Christmas.

The RTBU and five other unions are seeking a 32 per cent pay rise over four years for their members, which is significantly higher than the government’s opening offer of an increase of 9.5 per cent over three years.

With the pay dispute into its eighth month, Unions NSW, acting on behalf of the combined rail unions, has called on Transport for NSW secretary Josh Murray to appoint new negotiators to help resolve the stand-off.

In a letter to Murray, Unions NSW has suggested that Transport for NSW co-ordinator-general Howard Collins and another former senior official be brought in to facilitate a series of intense meetings. The pair was involved towards the end of negotiations during NSW’s last rail major dispute in 2022.

“We believe their demonstrated aptitude in resolving complex matters of this nature makes them well-suited to guide these discussions toward a successful resolution as quickly as possible,” Unions NSW said in the letter.

A government spokesperson said the best way to resolve the dispute was to resume mediation in the Fair Work Commission.

“The government has made a fair and reasonable pay offer to the rail unions. At the end of the day, we can’t say yes to the rail unions whilst at the same time say no to the nurses’ union and other unions who reached reasonable settlements over the course of 2024,” she said.

Fresh negotiations between the two sides are yet to be scheduled.

A truce in the row over wages was reached on Christmas Eve after rail unions committed to dropping major work bans until early January. It resulted in the government formally withdrawing a bid seeking Fair Work’s intervention to suspend or terminate industrial action.

About 60 per cent of Sydney Trains and NSW Trains’ 13,300 workers are RTBU members. The Electrical Trades Union, which is one of the six involved in the dispute, represents about 940 workers at the state-owned rail operators.

Start the day with a summary of the day’s most important and interesting stories, analysis and insights. Sign up for our Morning Edition newsletter.