Meeting with union to decide free Friday public transport fares

The state government will meet with the Rail Tram and Bus Union today in a crucial step which could decide on free travel.

Sydney commuters have had a smooth commute this morning ahead of a pivotal meeting between the union and transport officials which could decide whether commuters get free travel on Fridays.

Transport Minister David Elliott is set to meet with The Rail Tram and Bus Union (RTBU) on Thursday afternoon in a crucial next step in industrial negotiations. It comes as Sydney’s rail line operates with only minimal delays, with buses continuing to replace trains due to flooding on the T1, T5 and Blue Mountains line.

One of the new intercity trains the Rail, Tram and Bus Union is refusing to operate. Picture: NCA NewsWire / Damian Shaw

Mr Elliott cut short a planned meeting with homeless veterans in Lismore in order to attend the meeting after it was revealed there were no concrete plans for Ministers to meet with the union ahead of planned strike action on Monday.

It comes after Mr Elliott said he is open to making train travel free for commuters on Fridays after the RTBU threatened further industrial action if the government didn’t offer free fares to make up for shutting down the entire network last month.

STAGGERING COST OF KEEPING TRAINS RUNNING

Keeping the state’s new ­intercity trains in storage is costing $500,000 every month amid the rail union’s ongoing refusal to operate the multibillion-dollar fleet.

Space is also running out to keep the trains in secure storage facilities, with more carriages set to arrive from Korea soon.

The revelation comes as rail bureaucrats warned customers to expect significant disruptions to their journey on Monday amid a fresh round of industrial action from the Rail, Tram and Bus Union.

Industrial action has disrupted the Sydney train service for months. Picture: NCA NewsWire / James Gourley

Transport Minister David Elliott has now cut short a planned visit to homeless veterans in Lismore in order to attend a negotiation meeting with union organisers on Thursday afternoon.

The decision came after it was revealed that there were no concrete plans for Ministers to meet with the union ahead of planned strike action.

Former Transport and Disability Services Minister Andrew Constance has also accused the rail union of failing people with disabilities by not crewing the New Intercity Fleet. The trains – which would service the state’s south coast where Mr Constance is running for federal parliament – boasts fully accessible toilets.

Despite looming industrial action, Transport for NSW Secretary Rob Sharp said that trains would be running on Monday. However he told parliament that some lines may close at short notice if something goes wrong.

From Sunday, train crew will only work to their “master roster” and not accept any “altered working”. RTBU members will put a ban on working with contractors, and crew will only sign onto work at the start of their shift from their home depot.

RTBU NSW Secretary Alex Claassens arrives at a meeting at Fair Work Commission in East Sydney.

NSW Minister for Transport David Elliott. Picture NCA Newswire/ Gaye Gerard

There will also be a ban on changing the stopping patterns of trains “on the run” except in the case of emergencies.

The actions, largely the same bans which caused all trains to be cancelled last month, come on top of ongoing industrial action that the union is undertaking indefinitely, including a ban on operating the new intercity trains.

That refusal is based on safety concerns with the new fleet, which uses CCTV cameras rather than human guards to check for obstacles on the platform.

The fleet was initially too wide to fit through tunnels in the Blue Mountains, something Mr Constance said was deliberate.

“We deliberately procured a wider train to ensure wider aisles and, for the first time, fully accessible toilets for people with disabilities,” he said.

“The union has no right to continue to deny world class train facilities for people with disabilities.”

Mr Constance took specific aim at RTBU NSW Secretary Alex Claassens, who this week called for Premier Dominic Perrottet to personally intervene in the ongoing bargaining dispute.

The rail union has more than 70 clauses it wants added in its enterprise bargaining agreement, including a yearly 3.5 per cent pay increase and other boosts to pay and conditions.

It also wants an annual bonus for work performed during “public crisis, including natural disasters and health pandemics”.

In a statement, a Sydney Trains spokesman told commuters to “prepare for disruption over the two-week period” of industrial action.

Originally published as Meeting with union to decide free Friday public transport fares