Government position on our 24 hour action

This afternoon the NSW Government finally drew a line in the sand. The Transport Minister delivered a message to the commuters of NSW that they would no longer tolerate the running of 24 hour services. The reasons for this refusal were somewhat unclear, but were along the lines of “unsustainable” and the network needs maintenance.

Since Sunday, we’ve repeatedly asked Sydney Trains to explain what the issue was and have received no real explanation.

Then mid-afternoon, out of the blue, the Transport Minister told the media that Sydney Trains and NSW Trains would not be operating services from Thursday until Sunday!

Our action does not kick in until the early hours of Friday morning, meaning that if Sydney Trains shuts its network on Thursday, they are doing so for a day that we are ready, willing and able to work. What does that mean? I think we all remember February 2022. We hope it doesn’t come to that again.

We are sure that there will be further conversations tomorrow about the action set for the weekend – and we hope there are continued negotiations around the bargain, which is something that has been missing for weeks now.

We’re working around the clock to get this bargain done, and lock in important wins in conditions and the pay rise we all deserve. Remember, if you need further updates, your EA Delegates will be able to fill you in. If you don’t know who that is, visit https://fightingforourfuture.com.au/delegates/