Here’s Why Sydney Trains Aren’t Running Today
“This is a dummy spit from the NSW Government."
Thousands of Sydneysiders have had their Monday mornings thrown into chaos after the city’s entire train network came to a standstill amid industrial action, but it’s not entirely correct to label it a “strike.”
Trains across the entire Sydney Trains and NSW TrainLink networks are out of action on Monday, with replacement buses being offered on some services but commuters being warned to allow for extra travel time. In addition to wreaking havoc on the state’s capital, various other routes to Newcastle and the Blue Mountains have been interrupted.
Sydney Trains and NSW TrainLink intercity services are not running today due to industrial action.
Please avoid travel wherever possible, use alternative modes of transport and allow extra travel time on other modes of transport. pic.twitter.com/NLFHKvabQT
— T1 Sydney Trains (@T1SydneyTrains) February 20, 2022
Train services across the network were cancelled around midnight on Sunday after extensive negotiations between the Rail, Tram and Bus Union (RBTU) and Transport NSW failed to reach an agreement on key issues within the current enterprise agreement.
In particular, RBTU has been fighting for protecting the safety, hygiene and rights of transport workers in the event of privatisation of train services. Ultimately, Transport NSW pulled the pin on train services on Monday, citing safety precautions as the reason.
“We are doing everything possible to minimise the impact to commuters and sincerely apologise to everyone inconvenienced by this industrial action,” said Transport for NSW Secretary Rob Sharp. “This was a difficult decision to make but we cannot, and will not, compromise on safety.”
The Government Has Likened The Transport Industry Union To Terrorists
NSW Transport Minister David Elliot has been quick to accuse the Rail, Tram and Bus Union (RTBU) of “hijacking the city” with “terrorist-like activity”, but union representatives have stressed that this isn’t a strike, and that rail workers have shown up and had every intention of having trains running on Monday morning.
“I have been negotiating with unions for 20 years and I haven’t seen this sort of behaviour for quite some time,” Elliott told 2GB on Monday morning. “Why the hell would I want a strike to occur the day universities are going back?
“They cannot use the city’s transport system for some sort of terrorist-like activity.”
Speaking with the ABC, Elliot called it “nothing short of industrial bastardry.” “The people of NSW are rightfully upset today because the union movement has decided they are going to play silly games at short notice and put our services at risk,” said Elliot. “This is not anything but a part of the Labor Party’s campaign to bully the electorate into supporting their election. I don’t think the people of New South Wales are going to buy it.”
Even Prime Minister Scott Morrison jumped on the bandwagon, telling 2GB that this is “just not how you behave.”
“This is not how you treat your fellow citizens,” said Morrison, noting that international borders have reopened today and travellers will not be able to utilise the airport train service. “We’ve had nurses, we’ve had teachers, we’ve had police officers and everyone working hard through the pandemic, and we’ve got international arrivals opening up today and the union’s welcome to them will be a train strike.
“I mean, this is just not how this should be done. And I feel for all those Sydneysiders today who are affected by the strike.
“It’s great news (that international arrivals are returning), but the union movement has decided to really pull the rug out from under that on our first day back.”
Morrison also asserted that we can expect more strikes under a Labor government, despite the fact that the RBTU has repeatedly stressed this is not a strike.
“If people want to hand the country to unions under a Labor government led by the most leftwing Labor leader in 50 years since Gough Whitlam — and that’s probably being a bit unkind to Gough Whitlam, you might have to go back further — this is what they can expect,” said Morrison at a press conference. “We cannot stand up to that sort of intimidation by unions.”
Elliot later clarified that it was, in fact, Transport NSW that shut down the rail network, and not the RBTU. However, Scott Morrison is yet to respond to the RBTU’s demand for an apology.
NSW Transport David Elliot has confirmed it was TfNSW management who shut down the Syd rail network, not the RTBU. @ScottMorrisonMP must apologise for lying about rail workers #ausppol #ausunions
— RTBU (@RTBUnion) February 20, 2022
But Rail Workers Say They’re Happy To Work And This Is Anything But A Strike
According to the RBTU, workers turned up to work on Monday morning and only intended low-level protected industrial action. Basically, this would’ve meant that commuters would not have been impacted at all, and trains would’ve run as normal.
However, when they turned up to start their shifts, workers were allegedly told by management that trains would not run at all on Monday.
“This is a dummy spit from the NSW Government,” said RBTU NSW Secretary Alex Claassens. “Workers were prepared to take protected industrial action, but only transport management would have noticed the impact, not commuters. The impact to services today is not because of workers’ actions, but because the NSW Government is spitting the dummy and trying to make a point.
“We’re ready to drive the trains whenever the NSW Government will let us.
“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.”