Train Carnage Suspended as Crucial Court Hearing Approaches
Commuters hope for relief as train delays ease, but a key court hearing is on the horizon
Sydney, Australia, Train Delays, Industrial Action, Rail Union
Sydney: Commuters have been dealing with a mess of train delays lately, but there’s a glimmer of hope. The industrial action that caused all the chaos has been put on hold for now.
The Fair Work Commission stepped in and suspended the work bans that NSW train drivers had put in place while they were fighting for a big pay rise. This came after a wild couple of days where thousands of train services were canceled.
But don’t get too comfortable just yet. This suspension is only temporary until the commission hears the government’s full case on Wednesday.
The government is looking to stop the union from starting up new work bans and wants to push the issue into arbitration. That way, the court can decide what kind of pay rise the workers will get.
Last Wednesday alone, over 1900 trains were canceled, and Sydney Trains expected another 1000 to be scrapped by the end of Thursday. They’re advising commuters to think twice before traveling.
A spokesperson for the NSW government was relieved about the suspension, calling the mass cancellations “intolerable.” They emphasized that commuters shouldn’t have to suffer while the situation is sorted out.
On the flip side, a spokesman for the Rail, Tram and Bus Union expressed disappointment with the decision and mentioned they’d be weighing their options moving forward.
The Fair Work Commission’s president, Adam Hatcher, has set the government’s court case for Wednesday. The interim order was issued because the case couldn’t be heard within the usual five-day window.
A lawyer for the union argued that the ban on industrial action shouldn’t start until that five-day period was up, but the commission didn’t agree.
The government claims the industrial action has caused “significant damage to an important part of the economy” and plans to present evidence at next week’s hearing.
The union has been pushing for four annual pay increases of eight percent, but it seems they’re not keen on the government’s offer of 15 percent over four years.
According to Transport for NSW, the train network was only running at 18 percent on-time on Thursday, with rail usage down 40 percent during the morning rush. Some trains were even running over four hours late!
Sydney Trains defended their decision to dock pay from workers who didn’t complete their full tasks, like crews only operating half the usual inter-city services.
It’s worth noting that about 75 percent of NSW’s 13,300 rail workers are union members, primarily from the Rail, Tram and Bus Union.