Commuters will be lashed with further train delays as the NSW government vows to dock the pay of rail workers amid an ongoing pay dispute.
From Wednesday, train crews will slow trains by 23km/h less in areas of track that are 80km/h or higher.
The latest industrial action from the Rail, Tram and Bus Union comes as the union’s demand for a 32 per cent pay rise across four years for its members is ignored by the NSW government.
It’s understood the reduced speeds will affect the T1 Western Line, T8 Airport and South Line between Macarthur and Bardwell Park, Central Coast and Newcastle Line, the T1 Western, T2 Leppington and Inner West, T4 Illawarra and Eastern Suburbs, the T9 Northern Line and the Blue Mountains Line.
Ten fresh bans will come into effect on Wednesday according to the public calendar posted on the union’s Fighting For Our Future website.
The bans include not performing work to reinstate services if a train is cancelled and ignoring trackwork duties “unless deemed an emergency”.
The Rail, Tram and Bus Union is introducing 10 fresh bans amid an ongoing pay dispute with the NSW government. Picture: NewsWire / David Swift
The NSW government has vowed to cut the pay of union members who don’t do their jobs, with a spokesman stating the government has put “a reasonable offer on the table”.
“But actions that prevent a person from doing their role will mean that pay will be docked,” the spokesman said.
“If you don’t work, you won’t be paid.”
NSW Premier Chris Minns last week revealed the government was “not close to a deal” with the union.
He said he’d been given advice from the union that potential disruptions would not be “as severe as those threatened for New Year’s Eve”; however, he issued a stark warning to the union.
“I just want to make this clear, I’m not going to send over a blank cheque to the union,” Mr Minns said.
“The reason for that is that we have to be able to say, across the board, that we’ve got a reasonable wages offer for public servants in NSW, and simply coming to the government and saying ‘Well, give us what we want, and if you don’t, we’ll shut down the rail network’.
Commuters are in for more train delays amid the dispute as some trains are set to run 23km/h slower than usual from Wednesday. Picture: NewsWire / Damian Shaw
“I mean, if I did that in those circumstances, then next Christmas is gone, next New Year’s is gone … I just can’t have this kind of brinkmanship from the union.
“There’s got to be an established, long-term outcome. The best body to do that is the Fair Work Commission.”
He said the government had put forth a “fair offer” and it didn’t have “anymore to give”.
However, RTBU NSW branch secretary Toby Warnes earlier said members were “getting frustrated” amid the dispute, according to the ABC.
“This is all down to the fact that ever since Christmas Eve, we called on the government to come back to the bargaining table,” Mr Warnes said.
“We told them we were available Boxing Day, and we haven’t heard a peep from them since.
“We’re getting frustrated, and we just want to see this deal done.”