Sydney trains, buses hit by strikes on Wednesday as union reveals pay demands
Frustrated commuters experienced crowded carriages and packed platforms on Sydney’s rail network as train and bus services were slashed by up to 75 per cent — creating chaos on Wednesday.
NSW
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Commuters squeezed into overflowing carriages as Sydney and intercity train services were dramatically slashed by up to 75 per cent on Wednesday, while bus drivers pulled key routes offline at peak hour, including some school buses.
The Rail, Tram and Bus Union (RTBU) has refused to drive foreign-built trains, including the Waratah, Millennium and OSCAR trains, which represent about 70 per cent of the rail fleet and 75 per cent of services.
Meanwhile, the Transport Workers’ Union (TWU) will park their buses during key school pick-up and drop-off times, in the latest major flare up of industrial tensions.
RTBU and TWU members have also planned to hold a series of hours-long stop work meetings between 4am and 7am, and later between 2.30pm and 5.30pm, causing further disruption.
Most lines on the rail network, including intercity routes, will be affected with commuters being warned to expect an average 30-minute wait between services.
“We recommend avoiding all non-essential rail travel where possible,” Sydney Trains CEO Matt Longland said.
“Please plan ahead, check the latest updates, and be respectful of frontline staff during this time.”
Passengers at Arncliffe were crammed shoulder-to-shoulder in carriages on the T4 Eastern Suburbs and Illawarra line with commuters missing multiple trains before managing to squeeze in.
“I should have stayed at home,” one high school student said, as he was shoved into the corner.
Others fought to find a spot on the packed trains while some fell as they attempted to disembark.
“I’ve got nothing to hold on to,” one woman said.
“I’ve never seen anything like this. Apparently today is D-Day for a decision on this so hopefully this is the last of it.”
Another upset commuter, Helen Karem, was frustrated that she would be late to her new job in Leppington on Wednesday morning, saying the trains were “ridiculous”.
Alongside passengers on the busy Strathfield platforms, Sarah Elyiad had to wait an extra hour to catch the Central Coast and Newcastle line to Hornsby.
“It’s a bit annoying, as the wait times keep changing,” she said.
“This is the first time I’ll be late for work.”
Sharma Shama’s commute from Hornsby to Parramatta took an extra 30 minutes, and due to ongoing industrial action causing train delays, her daily commute now takes almost two hours.
“(My boss) is very understanding, especially since this has been happening a lot,” she said. “It’s frustrating but you get used to it.”
Sydney District Court lawyer Suzy, who chose to withhold her surname due to her job, was furious about the strikes and was stressed about running late for the judge.
She told The Daily Telegraph she was “over it”.
“I run to deadlines. They’re not going to hold up the court because the trains are late. The judge will not be happy,” she said.
“I’m just over it. I can’t drive into the city because there’s no parking.”
Despite heeding the advice of TfNSW, many commuters heading into the city on the M5 at Moorebank became jammed in heavy peak-hour traffic stretching about 14km at 7am on Wednesday.
A two-vehicle accident involving a car and a motorbike brought all eastbound traffic to a halt near the Heathcote Rd off-ramp until about 7.45am.
On Wednesday, trains are not operating on the T5 Cumberland line with customers advised to change at Granville, while a weekend timetable is in place for Blue Mountains, Central Coast and Newcastle Intercity services.
South Coast Intercity services will operate hourly between Kiama and Waterfall and buses will replace trains on the Port Kembla line between Port Kembla and Wollongong.
Buses will also replace trains on the T3 Bankstown line between Lidcombe and Bankstown and the T7 Olympic Park line between Lidcombe and Olympic Park.
Despite confirming bus reserves were available, Mr Longland said commuters, especially those in southwest Sydney, would be heavily impacted from the mid-afternoon into the evening.
“We will be providing a service on all lines other than the T5 Cumberland line (but) they’ll also take longer because they’ll stop at every station,” Mr Longland told 2GB’s Ben Fordham.
“We hope that we’re getting very close (to the end of industrial action) because this is becoming very frustrating for everyone.”
Transport for NSW said the protected industrial action will not have an impact on NSW TrainLink’s regional booked services or the Hunter and Southern Highlands lines.
In a win for commuters, all transit lanes will remain open and travelling in a T2 or T3 lane will be permitted for all motorists.
RTBU NSW Secretary Alex Claassens also said the union could launch more major actions, like the targeted strikes of last week or the ban on driving foreign-built trains for the month of September.
Mr Claassens revealed drivers will demand an extra 0.5 per cent pay rise – above that given to teachers, nurses and other key government workers – as part of their negotiations to end industrial action crippling NSW railways.
Attempts to reach Mr Claassens and resolve strike action have gone unanswered for NSW Opposition leader Chris Minns.
“I’d do anything to end these strikes. We want a resolution here. Halt the disruptive, halt the strikes … let’s get an agreement,” Mr Minns told 2GB’s Ben Fordham.
“I’ve tried to make contact (with Alex Claassens). I don’t think protracted disputes with unions is great (for the state).
“We need a resolution and we need the trains back on track.”
Intense negotiations with the government will continue this week but the union leader refused to rule out more major actions on trains next month.
“We’re hoping that sometime this week, we can get to a point where we can call a halt to all the serious actions,” he said.
“But certainly the mood of the delegates yesterday was enough to say to me that if we don’t get a resolution this week, the two weeks of peace you will potentially get anyway because we have to give 10 days notice will disappear very quickly.”
NSW Government workers like teachers and nurses will have their wage increase capped at 3 per cent next year and 3.5 the year after.
Mr Claassens said the RTBU was tied in to the federal system, despite it being paid from state coffers, and that the union had always received 0.5 per cent above the state wage cap.
It came as Premier Dominic Perrottet claimed his government was on a “unity ticket” with Labor over demands for the RTBU to end their action – even as senior ministers including Treasurer Matt Kean posted on social media accusing Opposition leader Chris Minns of not doing enough to stop the turmoil.
In a year blighted by industrial strife, public sector nurses will also go on strike for 24 hours on Thursday, with health workers to rally at 50 hospitals across the state.
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Originally published as Sydney trains, buses hit by strikes on Wednesday as union reveals pay demands
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