While Sydneysiders have long been fed-up with seemingly never-ending rail strikes, the possible cancellation of the city’s New Year’s firework display is their final straw.
Aussies have slammed the Rail Tram and Bus Union for putting one of the country’s largest annual events at risk over ‘greedy’ demands following NSW Police Commissioner Karen Webb’s warning on Friday.
Ms Webb made it clear she would recommend the famous New Year’s Eve fireworks display off the Sydney Harbour Bridge be cancelled if planned strikes went ahead.
New Year’s Eve is the busiest day on Australia’s largest rail network as millions of people are shuttled around Sydney Harbour and elsewhere in the city for the fireworks and other celebrations.
Some 3,200 services run about every five minutes ‘to get people in and out safely’, Transport Minister Jo Haylen said.
Yet the more than 250,000 people that are expected to rely on public transport this year face chronic delays and cancellations due to union members’ plan to limit how far train drivers can travel per shift.
The chaos of the rule was already felt this weekend with more than 580 services cancelled on Saturday alone.
Now Aussies are looking for someone to blame for the potential cancellation of the firework display with some pointing the finger at the union for its steep demands and others blaming Chris Minns’ government for failing in negotiations.
‘If Sydney’s fireworks don’t go ahead this New Years Eve, Minns should resign on the first of January 2025! This is because of Minns’ incompetence, failure and complete lack of ability to deal with the union hacks!’ one wrote on X.
‘Wow. If the greedy NSW transport union ends up cancelling the Sydney fireworks because their overpaid a**** want a pay rise from an already overtaxed public, there will be calls for them to be completely disbanded,’ another said.
‘Australia’s biggest showcase to the world is the NYE fireworks in Sydney every year. If that gets cancelled because of a NSW Rail pay dispute, it’s reputation is a disaster and future tourists won’t bother coming,’ another wrote.
Some of the union’s demands includes four annual wage increases of eight per cent, more super, same-day overtime payment, an increase in annual leave to 5 weeks (non-shift work) and 6 weeks (shift work), and unlimited sick leave.
Negotiations between the government and union collapsed on Thursday, prompting Ms Webb’s quick stern warning regarding the celebration.
‘If trains aren’t available, and people can’t leave the city, I have very large concerns of the risk that will create to the public because families won’t be able to get home and they’ll be trapped in the city with no way out,’ she said on Friday.
RTBU state secretary Toby Warnes responded later the same day and blamed the government for the entire situation.
‘If the fireworks are cancelled, that will be on the government completely,’ he said.
The state government plans to argue the industrial action could cause a risk to public safety on New Year’s Eve at a Fair Work Commission hearing on Christmas Eve.
However, the train union argues the action would only delay trains and force some cancellations.
Transport Minister Jo Haylen poured scorn on the union’s portrayal that work bans were a means of getting the government back to the negotiating table.
‘They say, “well, let’s talk about it”,’ she told reporters.
‘But the fact is unless you agree with them, there’s no end point.’
Unions continue to demand four annual wage increases of eight per cent, which Mr Minns has said is unaffordable and could not occur while he is denying nurses a similar claim.
The government previously offered 11 per cent across three years, including superannuation increases.
Rail workers were willing to settle for a middle ground, Mr Warnes said.
‘If the government wants to come to the table with an offer, they should make that offer and then we’ll take it to our members,’ he said.
‘If our members accept it, then the dispute is resolved.’
Outside of that, the Fair Work Commission can be asked to settle the dispute from February.
