Rail Strike Averted: New Year’s Eve Fireworks to Proceed
Sydney’s iconic New Year’s Eve fireworks display will go ahead as planned after a last-minute agreement between the NSW government and rail unions averted a potential strike. The unions withdrew planned industrial action following an 11th-hour court hearing.
No new strike action is planned for New Year’s Eve.
- Union Concessions: The Rail, Tram and Bus Union (RTBU) agreed to withdraw certain industrial actions, including a limit on driver travel distances. No new strike action is planned for New Year’s Eve.
- Government Stance: The NSW government did not make any concessions to the unions. Transport Minister Jo Haylen emphasized that the government had been seeking the withdrawal of certain bans for weeks.
- Court Intervention: The Fair Work Commission played a crucial role in facilitating the agreement. The government had applied to the Commission to halt the planned action, arguing it posed a safety risk to the community and could harm the economy.
- Increased Services: Transport for NSW plans to run 1000 extra services on New Year’s Eve, with Metro services operating every five minutes until 2 am.
- Union Concerns: RTBU NSW Secretary Toby Warnes criticized the state government’s rhetoric during the dispute. He urged the government to engage in direct dialogue with workers.
- Government Response: Transport Secretary Josh Murray emphasized the need for operational certainty during the holiday season.
- Political Reactions: Prime Minister Anthony Albanese welcomed the resolution, stating that the fireworks display is a significant economic driver for Sydney.
Quotes:
- Jo Haylen: “The union withdrew their industrial action. The Fair Work Commission assisted us in that process.”
- Toby Warnes: “There was never going to be any rail shutdown or major disruptions on New Year’s Eve and now there certainly won’t be.”
- Anthony Albanese: “The best harbour in the world is Sydney … and the idea that that would be disrupted would be extremely counter-productive, and it’s good that it won’t be.”
