Sydney train commuters to face more disruptions next week as industrial action resumes, union confirms

ABC NEWS (Australia)

There could be more pain ahead for Sydney rail commuters, with unions saying they'll stage a new round of industrial action next week.

Transcript

00:00From Wednesday the 15th of January and is scheduled to run until Friday the 17th, as

00:07for the actual strike action itself, it's going to look like trains are not going beyond

00:12certain speeds as decided by the Union rather than safety regulations.

00:16For example, for outer suburban and intercity trains, these are trains that might travel

00:21from Newcastle or Sydney or to other parts of the state, for example, they'll cap out

00:26at 80 kilometres, meaning they'll travel slower than they usually do.

00:30The Union says they expect only a kind of small to medium scale impact on people's commute

00:35as a consequence.

00:36They're also talking about the idea of limiting the amount of stops and distances particular

00:41crew members and workers travel on trains as well.

00:44What we're not likely to see though are free fares, as we have done in the past, or guards

00:48not charging people and opening the doors to allow people to come through for no charge,

00:54which obviously is a thorn in the side of the government, but a way in which the Union

00:58tries to carry public support.

00:59However, it is worth considering just what commuters are making of this entire standoff

01:04that's now gone on for weeks and weeks, in fact months and months.

01:08We spoke to a few commuters at Central Station earlier today.

01:12I think that train drivers get a good, they're on a good wicket there, on good money.

01:17I used to drive buses in Sydney for many years on Parramatta Road.

01:21That's work.

01:23I used to do a ten and a half hour shift six days a week, and the bus drivers, train drivers

01:29want to do less mileage I believe.

01:33It didn't hamper the day to day life of us, like the commuters.

01:39They should be getting paid more and everything.

01:42It was all over the New South Wales Travels app and on Google Maps and stuff like that.

01:46It was a bit, what's the word for it, inconvenient, especially towards the end of New Year's and

01:52Christmas because that's when you travel the most for work and everything.

01:55Miles, is there any hope for a deal to be struck between the unions and the government?

02:02Well the potential path forward is through one of two means.

02:05One is from both the government and the unions coming together to thrash out a deal.

02:10That has been an option for ages though, and we haven't seen any headway on it.

02:14The government remains steadfast.

02:16It wants to see a return to the Fair Work Commission.

02:19The unions on the other hand say if they go to Fair Work they want to see senior decision

02:23makers at the table because they've been displeased when they've gone to Fair Work for mediation

02:28earlier in this process, and what they say is there's essentially senior bureaucrats

02:32within the government but not senior enough to make fine decisions around particular specific

02:38parts of negotiations and to make significant enough headway.

02:42As an alternate they'd like to see either the Premier, Chris Mins, or the Transport

02:47Minister or Treasurer present at these discussions should it go to Fair Work.

02:51The alternate they've offered up is they've actually named who they believe should negotiate

02:55for the government.

02:56Samantha Abedirah who has a long history in transport both in New South Wales and more

03:00recently in Queensland.

03:01The other person is Howard Collins who's the Coordinator General in New South Wales but

03:05previously was the CEO of New South Wales Trains or Sydney Trains I should say.

03:10That is a highly unusual move for either party to name who they want to negotiate with.

03:14The government seems very reticent at the idea of engaging that proposal from the union

03:19so we'll just have to wait and see.

03:21At the moment it looks like we are heading to the strike action.

03:24Yet to hear from the New South Wales government though today about what action they may be

03:28taking to try and avert more delays and disruptions for commuters.

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