Union strikes could cause year-long delay for South West Metro

Sydney’s South West Metro line completion date could be delayed by up to a year as union workers thrown down tools, causing construction timeline blowouts as the industrial action continues.

Metro services to Sydney’s South West could be delayed by up to a year due to union industrial action, in a further blow to commuters left fuming by rolling train strikes over a mothballed $2.8 billion intercity fleet.

Amid the rail strikes that have crippled the train network, Electrical Trade Union workers have also refused to carry out certain electrical work on the South West Metro construction, causing extensive delays and cost blowouts worth hundreds of millions of dollars.

Government sources said the bans on electrical work have caused a cascading effect which could mean the first South West Metro service on the Sydenham to Bankstown line could be delayed by up to a year, until 2025.

And despite the rail unions insisting rolling strikes are about safety concerns, the ETU is also using current negotiations to demand that union superannuation fund Cbus – chaired by Wayne Swan – becomes the “default superfund for electrical workers”.

Treasurer Matt Kean accused the ETU of trying to “derail” a project that has nothing to do with the new intercity fleet, at the centre of Wednesday’s major strike.

Worm on thw NSW Premier Dominic Perrottet and NSW Transport Minister David Elliott on a tour of a tunnel section of the metro line, which could be heavily delayed by strikes. Picture: James Gourley

“Like the Rail, Tram and Bus Union (RTBU) that is holding the travelling public hostage with Claassens’ calendar of industrial action, the ETU is working equally hard to derail projects that have absolutely nothing to do with the new intercity fleet,” he said.

The RTBU’s refusal to operate the New Intercity Fleet is at the centre of the stalled negotiations which led to the train network operating at just 25 per cent capacity on Wednesday.

Treasurer Matt Kean. Picture: Damian Shaw

“The (ETU’s) delays will impact residents in Sydney’s southwest the most but the costs will eventually impact every taxpayer in this state,” Mr Kean said.

The ETU’s action includes “switching bans” – where members refuse to turn off electricity for construction work.

The union said that the bans had been in place since November last year due to an ongoing wage dispute with the government, and were not related to the New Intercity Fleet.

As part of their negotiations, the union wants a pay increase of 3.5 per cent per year.

Meanwhile, the rail union strikes are set to add about $85 million to the cost of train station accessibility upgrades.

Minister for Regional Transport and Roads Sam Farraway. Picture: NCA NewsWire / Flavio Brancaleone

Transport for NSW figures released by Regional Transport Minister Sam Farraway reveal “protected industrial action” by the Rail, Tram and Bus Union added $45.5m to “transport access program” projects costs up to mid June, due to delays.

That figure is estimated to grow by another $39.2m by mid October, according to the TfNSW advice.

It is not known how many projects have been affected.

A Budget Estimates hearing on Wednesday afternoon was told that improvements to Point Clare station on the Central Coast had been set back by two months due to the ongoing strikes.

TfNSW deputy secretary Camilla Drover said “unfortunately because of the protected industrial action we are two months further late on that project”.

Originally published as Union strikes could cause year-long delay for South West Metro