Sydney trains advises commuters to delay non-essential travel

ABC NEWS (Australia)

Delays and cancellations will continue to plague the NSW rail network today. However, some emergency work completed overnight - means the impact won't be as bad as yesterday.

Transcript

00:00There's already been 294 cancelled train services today.

00:07They're expecting about 1,000 by the day's end.

00:10That's transport for New South Wales.

00:12So as a result, the advice is, if it's non-essential travel, consider taking another means of transport,

00:18whatever that may be.

00:19Now, we do have replacement buses running right across Sydney as a complement to the

00:24delays and cancellations, indeed, for the train services.

00:27However, just to put it in perspective, it takes about 20 full replacement buses to have

00:32the equivalent capacity of one cancelled train.

00:34So you can see already how there's just no way the bus replacements can ever cater to

00:39the demand as a result of cancelled train services.

00:43We've been talking to people here at Central Station today, the largest train station in

00:47the Sydney rail network, and here it's where we've heard from people about how they're

00:51traversing the commute both today, as well as what they think generally about the strike

00:55action at the moment.

00:57It's not good because I have a checkpoint, so I can't go in good time.

01:04Pissed off, man.

01:05I take the train every day.

01:06Like how are we supposed to get to work?

01:09Like the train people, they want more money.

01:11They don't think about us, the community.

01:13You've got to have an open mind.

01:15I mean, these things do happen, unfortunately, and you just go with the flow.

01:19I reckon train drivers just take the money and then just be happy.

01:25I'll be honest with you.

01:26I mean, at the end of the day, they shouldn't impact the public this much.

01:29If you listen to both parties, it doesn't sound like it.

01:32The New South Wales government very much leaving its legal recourse and options open to challenge

01:38the ongoing actions that the combined rail unions are taking.

01:42That's not just the rail, tram and bus union, but also other unions involved.

01:45Now, we've also got the matter, though, of the rail, tram and bus union who cover the

01:49majority of this workforce, who will consider the government's new pay offer, which is about

01:5315 per cent in total, including an increase to superannuation.

01:57They've initially asked for 32 per cent, though, so still a ways apart.

02:01And they've said that they don't think it's likely this deal will be agreed to.

02:04And they have a lot of power amongst the workforce here.

02:07So all signs at the moment looking like the deal won't be accepted by the workforce and

02:12is such that the case is that we'll have to see some sort of action come to a head thereafter.

02:19Toby Warnes from the rail, tram and bus union spoke to ABC earlier this morning saying what

02:23he wants to see is a return to the negotiation table with New South Wales government ministers.

02:30If the New South Wales government just sits at the negotiating table with us and thrashes

02:34out the details around some of the savings that we've found that could aid in upping

02:39that pay increase, then I'm confident that we can get this deal done very, very quickly.

02:43I told the media yesterday that my entire bargaining team is standing ready to negotiate

02:49with the government.

02:50We just need the government to show will and sit round the negotiating table with us.

02:55So that's Toby Warnes there from the rail, tram and bus union, very much saying he wants

02:59to see negotiations resume.

03:01It does feel like we're a long way from that happening, whether that happens through, again,

03:04fair work mediation.

03:05We saw that occur last week and into this week.

03:08The government, though, saying this is a fair offer and the rail union should take it.

03:13However, the rail union, obviously, as you've seen already, showing very little appetite

03:17and indeed looking reticent to accept any sort of offer.

03:21And really what happens, though, is you have all these commuters then, as a result, caught

03:25in the middle of it.

03:26And it is really the point of frustration for them is going to be a headache, both for

03:30the union as they try to win over public sentiment, as well, though, as the government, who are

03:34clearly also becoming frustrated and receiving frustration from the public who have to catch

03:40these trains and contend with significant delays.

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