Major train strike cripples Sydney’s transport network

Labor leader Chris Minns has lashed out at the state government for “inflaming” their dispute with transport unions, while the Premier labelled the strikes as a “co-ordinated attack” fuelled by the Labor party and unions. VOTE IN OUR POLL

Labor leader Chris Minns has lashed out at the state government for “inflaming” their dispute with transport unions instead of fixing the problem.

“You would expect the NSW government this morning to be talking about talks and negotiations… instead (they are) inflaming the situation,” he said.

“It’s a marked contrast from the former Premier of NSW Gladys Berejiklian who for the last 10 years… personally led negotiations.

“When you’ve got a situation where the Transport Minister is accusing his own workforce of acting like terrorists or being un-Australian, many commuters will be thinking this morning and this afternoon ‘Is the government even interested in fixing this situation?’.”

Platforms closed at Wolli Creek after all trains were cancelled amid union fight with transport bosses in Sydney. Picture: 7News

Mr Minns defended himself against allegations from Premier Dominic Perrottet that Labor was colluding with unions to attack the government.

“This is the first Premier in history who has managed to close down the train network when there isn’t even a strike,” he said.

“Let’s be clear – the only people who didn’t turn up to work today is the NSW government.

“The Premier of NSW looked and sounded this morning like a struggling opposition leader… launching conspiracy theories, launching insults.”

Confused commuters at Wolli Creek after trains were cancelled this morning. Picture: 7News

Mr Minns backed the Rail and Bus and Transport Workers Union and said the employees were “ready to work this morning” but the government shut the network down.

“It seems as though there have been disingenuous negotiations on behalf of the government. The union was ready to turn up to work this morning,” he said.

Mr Perrottet said he was “disappointed, incredibly frustrated and angry” by the chaos caused by the train stoppage this morning, and accused Labor of motivating the unions to cause ”mass disruption”.

“Today is not reasonable. This is a concerted campaign. I will do whatever I can to make sure this doesn’t happen again,” he said.

Transport NSW staff at Central Station on Monday morning. Picture: NCA NewsWire / Flavio Brancaleone

“This is a co-ordinated attack by the Labor Party and the unions. They’ve been flagged on the front page of the newspaper today. This is no accident.”

Mr Perrottet mirrored comments from Prime Minister Scott Morrison that the unions have undermined today’s milestone return of international tourists.

“The Prime Minister was right. Today should have been a happy day for our state … it still is, it’s not overlooked by the inconvenience by the unions,” he said.

“The unions are intent on causing chaos.”

The NSW government and the rail workers’ union are now facing off before the Fair Work Commission after the Transport Minister promised a tough fight following today’s train stoppage fiasco.

No trains are running across Sydney on Monday because of the ongoing dispute between the Rail Tram and Bus Unions and the NSW government, causing catastrophic delays for commuters.

Town Hall train station closed this morning. Picture: Clinton Maynard/2GB

While many trains stations are locked and quiet, travellers continue to turn up expecting services to be running as usual.

Mark and Doris Wood had no idea the trains were cancelled today and turned up at Lidcombe station about 11am to make their way out to Parramatta for an ear specialist appointment.

Mr Wood said he had no other way of making his way out west to get to the appointment on time and would have to reschedule for another day.

Mark and Doris Wood at Lidcombe train station after NSW trains called a snap strike leaving commuters stranded. Picture: John Feder

Mark also said that he didn’t think industrial action was a good way to bring about change within the system, believing they inconvenience everyday people.

“I don’t believe strikes do any good for anything I think you’ve got to talk to this government and reason with them,” he said.

“It’s not good. I don’t think they (strikes) solve the problem. It says you don’t care about the people.”

Ms Wood agreed the strikes were “a bit upsetting”.

“If they (the trains) stop, we stop,” she said. “We can’t do anything about it.”

Hundreds of commuters took to the roads. Photo: Nine Network

The scene at Wolli Creek today. Picture: 7News

Earlier this morning, Transport Minister David Elliott said the union would be in for a fight in front of the FWC at 9am this morning, promising the government would not given in to their demands.

He said the union had “hijacked the city and claimed hadn’t shown up to a conciliation meeting last night, proving the industrial action is political.

“The rail unions have hijacked the city on a day we should be concentrating on working around the easing of restrictions,” Mr Elliott said.

Commuters turned to buses at Wynyard Station this afternoon as the rail dispute caused havoc with all trains cancelled. Picture: NCA Newswire / Gaye Gerard

“We won’t be conceding a single thing whilst they behave like spoilt children.

“I look forward to this morning’s negotiations and call on the union to realise that they are harming their cause and threatening the city’s recovery,” he said.

In a fiery appearance on 2GB, a “furious” Mr Elliott hit out at the union again ahead of the 9am FWC appearance.

“I think we’re going to have a larger standoff right now because they cannot use the city’s transport system for some sort of terrorist-like activity,” he said.

“The government hasn’t been exactly faultless when it comes to negotiations, but they didn’t even bother showing up (on Sunday) … but blaming me for this is absolute crap.”

‘In for a fight’ … Transport Minister David Elliott

Commuters were locked out of Central Station. Picture: Flavio Brancaleone

However RBTU Secretary Alex Claassens declaring workers’ plans could still see the network run.

“This is a dummy spit from the NSW Government … workers were prepared to take protected industrial action, but only transport management would have noticed the impact, not commuters,“ Mr Claassens said.

“All members were at work, ready to work. They were ready and waiting to crew the trains only to be told the trains aren’t running today. There is no impediment, only stubbornness on behalf of the NSW Government.”

Signs at a quiet Central Station showing cancelled services on Monday morning. Picture: Flavio Brancaleone

Mr Claassens accused the government of “bullying” rail workers over their list of proposed changes to work conditions.

“We’re trying to negotiate an enterprise agreement that enshrines safety on our train network … for the NSW Government to suggest otherwise is unbelievable,” he said.

“It’s time the NSW Government stopped trying to bully workers into submission and starting resolving the laundry list of safety and employment issues workers have raised.”

Negotiations were expected to resume before the Fair Work Commission began at 9am.

No services are running on any Sydney Trains line, or on intercity RailLink line, following a breakdown in talks between the NSW Government and the Rail Tram and Bus Union over the weekend.

This includes the Airport & South Line, Bankstown Line, Blue Mountains Line, Central Coast & Newcastle Line, Cumberland Line, Eastern Suburbs & Illawarra Line, Hunter Line, Inner West & Leppington Line, North Shore Line, Northern Line, Olympic Park, South Coast Line, Southern Highlands Line and Western Line.

Commuters could struggle to make their way to work today if they usually rely on trains. Picture: Toby Zerna

Replacement buses were not been organised.

Parties went to the Fair Work Commission over the weekend but negotiations to work on resolving industrial issues broke down.

On Saturday, the Rail, Tram and Bus Union reached an agreement with the government to prevent a strike from occurring but notified the government on Sunday afternoon that they were walking away from the agreement.

A Sunday evening Fair Work Commission hearing left unresolved and prompted transport officials to shut down the network on Monday.

Employee Relations Minister Damien Tudehope defended the decision to shut down the network and said it was the government’s only option.

Sydney trains will stay still, empty and un-moving today amid the day-long strike.

“At 2am this morning we took the view Sydney trains couldn’t operate reliably or safely given the union bans,” Mr Tudehope said.

“They won’t work their rostered shifts, or overtime, signallers won’t work to the roster, noticed won’t be delivered to change timetables, the train system would be in chaos.”

He added: “It’s effectively saying to commuters of Sydney that ‘we don’t care about your convenience, your business, you taking the kids to school, doctors and nurses trying to get to work … it’s using commuters of Sydney as pawns to achieve a political outcome, we’ll be back before the Fair Work Commission to get this resolved.”

“This is industrial bastardry at it’s finest.”

@T1SydneyTrains did I miss a notice or something because this is what I saw this morning when I got to the train station? #sydneytrains#publictransportpic.twitter.com/XwdfZf53ch

— Tara Choyce (@ChoyceTara) February 20, 2022

Light rail and Metro services are still running but tens of thousands of commuters are expected to be impacted.

“Commuters are urged to avoid travel wherever possible, use alternatives modes of transport, and allow extra time for trips,” a TfNSW statement read.

Transport for NSW Secretary Rob Sharp said: “These actions will impact hundreds of thousands of commuters and come at a time when people just want to get back to work, back to school and back to university — it’s not what our community needs at this time.”

Transport for NSW first warned commuters on Twitter at 4am, telling travellers to find alternative ways to get around.

Motorists stuck in kilometres of traffic have been told they can use transit lanes to to get around in an effort to speed up long traffic jams.

Metropolitan Roads Minister Natalie Ward said: “Video messaging boards that you see around the city are displaying the message that commuters are able to travel in transit lanes this morning.”

“We will continue to monitor the road network throughout the day and take any necessary further action if required.”

“There is not strike – workers are simply performing the shifts we’re set without any changed,” RTBU NSW Secretary Alex Claassens says. Picture: Toby Zerna

It comes as there have been more than 30 meetings between the two organisations in six months, with the dispute continuing over safety and hygiene concerns as well as privatisation talks.

Furious commuters took to social media to air their frustration at the transport system breakdown.

“I’ve got both work and uni today and need to travel from the coast with no licence … what am I meant to do,” one Twitter user wrote.

“What a joke,” another chimed in.

Originally published as Major train strike cripples Sydney’s transport network