Opal card readers at Sydney train stations are set to be shut down as early as next week after rail workers voted overwhelmingly in favour of the action as part of their prolonged industrial dispute with the state government.
The Rail Tram and Bus Union has yet to decide when it will inform the government of plans by its members to deactivate Opal readers. It is required to give three days’ notice of the planned industrial action, which will make the entire Sydney rail network free for commuters.RTBU state secretary Alex Claassens said it was likely that it would notify the government next week, but that would ultimately be a decision of delegates.
“We think the government will challenge it ... and take us to the Federal Court,” he said. “The earliest that we could notify is sometime next week.”with the industrial umpire.However, the RTBU later revived its plans, which required a week-long ballot of members. Some 97 per cent of those who voted in the ballot favoured the action.
Claassens said members were intent on using the action to force the government back to the negotiating table after Premier Dominic Perrottet threatened in September toTreasurer Matt Kean accused Claassens of using the public as a “political plaything” and said commuters needed to be put first.
If the new action goes ahead, it will make the entire Sydney rail network free for commuters, costing the government millions of dollars each month in forfeited fare revenue., which has been disputed by the unions.
Mattonews Why should we trust anything you have to say on this matter, again?
Mattonews oh come on
Mattonews
Mattonews If anyone had not noticed, all the industrial action is in NSW RTBUnion TeachersFed nswnma .....you know the one with a Liberal Government. ChrisMinnsMP has them doing all his bidding.....
Mattonews so the union wants all NSW residents to pay for sydney trains.........not fare
Mattonews If there’s no funding via opal then the government should not run rail services. This is the unions fault.