Train stand-off continues as union peace deal rejected   

Dec 23, 2024
New Daily



A long-running train saga threatening to derail the country’s most popular New Year’s Eve celebration remains unresolved as a union peace deal is rejected.   

The Rail, Tram and Bus Union offered the NSW government a peace deal on Sunday, promising to pause all protected industrial action if it made public transport travel free until an agreement was reached.


The Labor government and the union have been at loggerheads for months over a new enterprise agreement.

An application by the government to the Fair Work Commission will be heard on Christmas Eve when the industrial umpire decides whether to suspend the union’s industrial action.

In a leaked memo to the government, the union set out its offer in response to the application.

“Although your application seems to be based on an erroneous understanding of the action that is organised (and) economic evidence consisting entirely of assumptions,” the leaked union offer reads.

“We nonetheless write to offer a way forward which would enable there to be minimal disruption on New Year’s Eve and over the festive period.”

The union offered to pause all action until January 7 if the government waived fares for Sydney commuters until an agreement was reached.

Union NSW secretary Toby Warnes said he had not heard from the government on Monday morning, although a spokeswoman for Premier Chris Minns said the offer would be rejected.

“This would cost millions of dollars that we don’t have,” the spokeswoman said.



“If we did do it, the people of NSW know that it has to be paid for by them in another way – it’s just not affordable.

“We will keep all legal options on the table to ensure this industrial action does not impact the holiday period.”

The union continues to demand a pay rise of eight per cent a year for four years, which Mr Minns has said is unaffordable.

He said the government won’t provide it while it is denying nurses a similar claim.

The government previously offered 11 per cent across three years, including superannuation increases.

On Friday, NSW Police Commissioner Karen Webb threatened to call off the world-famous New Year’s Eve fireworks event on Sydney Harbour, citing safety reasons concerning planned industrial action.

“I have grave concerns,” she told reporters.

“I haven’t ruled out that I will recommend to the government that we cancel the fireworks.”

Hundreds of trains were cancelled at the weekend as a result of the union’s industrial action, although Mr Warnes said track work also contributed to delays.

“It is, of course, a convenient excuse for disruption that’s caused by regular maintenance work,” he told ABC News on Monday.

“But we say to commuters that the government now has an offer on the table that would see absolute peace until January 7.”

Mr Warnes wants commuters frustrated by the industrial action to bottle their anger to take to the 2027 election.

whiteknight wrote Today at 10:41am:


If this happens any sympathy the general public may have for the transport workers will be gone. A stupid move by out of touch union leaders who are full of their own self importance.