Sydney trains: Shocking New South Wales photos show workers doing NOTHING as network is shut down

Infuriating photos have emerged of hundreds of bemused Sydney train workers standing around on train station platforms and depots after the entire Sydney rail network was shut down without warning on Monday. 

The city’s commuters were abruptly left stranded on Monday morning after the NSW Government made a late-night decision to shut down the train system – on the first weekday after working from home rules were eased. 

As residents were forced into buses and clogged highways in 22km long traffic jams, pictures obtained by Daily Mail Australia showed men and women in orange high-vis vests sitting in a depot lunch room with nothing to do. 

Other pictures showed a huge crowd of rail workers milling about one of the main platforms at Central Station.  

The Rail Tram and Bus Union has claimed Sydney Trains staff were ‘locked out’ despite agreeing to work, however Transport Minister David Elliott has blasted that as ‘union spin’.

As the union and the state government were locked in high-level talks, NSW Premier Dominic Perrottet slammed the shutdown as a ‘concerted campaign’ and insisted the unions were to blame.     

Shocking photos have emerged of dozens of bored Sydney train workers left with nothing to do, milling about the train station and sitting in the depot after a city-wide shutdown

Men and women in orange high-vis vests sat around on their phones as negotiations continued before the Fair Work Commission on Monday morning (pictured)

Men and women in orange high-vis vests sat around on their phones as negotiations continued before the Fair Work Commission on Monday morning (pictured)

Other train workers were pictured on a desolate platform at Lithgow in Greater Sydney as millions of commuters battled to get to work and school on time on Monday

Other train workers were pictured on a desolate platform at Lithgow in Greater Sydney as millions of commuters battled to get to work and school on time on Monday

Mr Perrottet claimed it was ‘no accident’ that this has occurred on the same day as international borders reopened, workers returned to the office, and children and university students ventured to their classes.

The union claims it ‘intended to take legitimate and legal industrial action today which would not have affected service. Workers would have worked as per their normal roster. The employer, however, chose to shut down the rail network.’ 

He claimed unions were taking ‘a different approach’ to the agreement reached last weekend and insisted the decision had been made with intent to cause chaos’. 

The city-wide shutdown has caused a gridlock as long as 22km on the M2 motorway and huge lines of traffic along Victoria Road, the M5 and Hume Highway.

The cancellations came on the day Australia’s international borders finally opened and work from home was ditched in NSW with employees told they could return to the office at their bosses’ discretion.

The city-wide shutdown has caused a gridlock as long as 22km on the M2 motorway and huge lines of traffic along Victoria Road, the M5 and Hume Highway

The city-wide shutdown has caused a gridlock as long as 22km on the M2 motorway and huge lines of traffic along Victoria Road, the M5 and Hume Highway

Schools are reportedly being closed because teachers are unable to get to work with no trains and huge delays due to traffic.  

The shutdown is the latest chapter in a long-running dispute between the NSW Government and the Rail Tram and Bus Union over safety guarantees, hygiene, wages, and privatisation concerns. 

The two sides are blaming each other for the shutdown with NSW Transport Minister David Elliott accusing the union of ‘hijacking the city’ and the union arguing the government of ‘locking workers’ out after they agreed to work. 

Back-to-back traffic crippled Victoria Road as train services were shut down on Monday

Back-to-back traffic crippled Victoria Road as train services were shut down on Monday

The two sides are blaming each other for the shutdown with NSW Transport Minister David Elliott accusing the union of 'hijacking the city' and the union arguing the government of 'locking workers' out after they agreed to work

The two sides are blaming each other for the shutdown with NSW Transport Minister David Elliott accusing the union of ‘hijacking the city’ and the union arguing the government of ‘locking workers’ out after they agreed to work

A graphic depiction of bumper to bumper traffic along Victoria Road and the M2, stationed trains at Clyde Train Depot, a shuttered Town Hall, and commuters left stranded in Parramatta

A graphic depiction of bumper to bumper traffic along Victoria Road and the M2, stationed trains at Clyde Train Depot, a shuttered Town Hall, and commuters left stranded in Parramatta

Transport for NSW announced the sudden train closure at 5am on its social media, and before that in a 1.38am email to staff.

‘Sydney Trains and NSW TrainLink intercity services are not running today due to industrial action,’ it wrote online.

‘Please avoid travel wherever possible, use alternative modes of transport and allow extra travel time on other modes of transport.

‘This was a difficult decision to make, but we cannot and will not compromise on safety. We apologise to customers for what is clearly an unacceptable course of action.’

Transport bosses attempted to blame the union for the sudden rail shutdown, but it was Transport for NSW’s decision to shut the network down.

Transport minister Mr Elliott told Ben Fordham he was ‘furious’ the union would blame the government.

‘I have been negotiating with unions for 20 years and I haven’t seen this sort of behaviour for quite some time,’ he said.

‘Why the hell would I want a strike to occur the day universities are going back?

‘They cannot use the city’s transport system for some sort of terrorist-like activity.’ 

Workers never planned to strike and were all going to show up to work under comparatively minor bans on rostering flexibility.

However, Transport for NSW secretary Rob Sharp at 1.38am sent an email suddenly cancelling all services in what rail workers called a ‘dummy spit’. 

Rail replacement buses have not been organised due to the last-minute nature of the shutdown, with commuters urged to find alternative transport.  

This was after the state government encouraged staff to get back into the office for the first time since the Omicron wave. 

Rail, Tram, and Bus Union secretary Alex Claassens said Sydney Trains locked workers out of the train network despite them being ready to work.

‘For the government to use this as a bulls**t excuse is a new low. They are the ones that are doing all of this,’ he said.

Millions of Sydney commuters will wake up this morning to find they have no way to get to work after all trains were suddenly cancelled

Millions of Sydney commuters will wake up this morning to find they have no way to get to work after all trains were suddenly cancelled

Prime Minister Scott Morrison backed up his Coalition partners in NSW by attacking the 'disrespectful' union for inconveniencing commuters

Prime Minister Scott Morrison backed up his Coalition partners in NSW by attacking the ‘disrespectful’ union for inconveniencing commuters

Roads are choked with traffic as Sydneysiders jumped into their cars with little other way to get to work, with gridlock as long as 22km on the M2 motorway

Roads are choked with traffic as Sydneysiders jumped into their cars with little other way to get to work, with gridlock as long as 22km on the M2 motorway

Chain of events leading to Sydney train shutdown

Past six months: Rail Tram and Bus Union, Sydney Trains, and the NSW Government has 30 meetings trying to resolve long-running dispute over new enterprise agreement.

Union demands better pay and conditions and improvements to hygiene, safety, and no moves to privatise the network.

Saturday: Two sides meet for conciliation with Sydney Trains and government sending 10 lawyers at a $500,000 cost to taxpayers.

Government wants all industrial action halted and is pushing for the Fair Work Commission to arbitrate the contract dispute. Union is dead against that as it claims the Commission is stacked with anti-union members.

Union agrees to cancel a ban on overtime and other plans in exchange for being able to go ahead with scaled-down industrial action on Monday for two weeks, and the government withdrawing arbitration push.

Action limited to a ban on ‘altered working’ and other flexible rostering that Sydney Trains uses to respond to changes on the network.

Union secretary described altered working as: ‘You know you’re going to work on a particular time, but you don’t quite know the duties you’re going to be doing.’

Sunday: Government realises it agreed to a deal that still has wide ranging, though comparatively minor, industrial action.

8pm Sunday: Government sends Crown solicitors to the Fair Work Commission to demand the industrial action be called off and ‘clarify’ the deal. Union leaders are not present but RTBU’s lawyers are.

Fair Work Commission sides with the union and the industrial action is scheduled to go ahead.

Monday, 1.38am: Transport for NSW secretary Rob Sharp sends an email suddenly cancelling all services in what rail workers called a ‘dummy spit’.

He and the government claim the industrial action compromised rail safety and they had no choice but to shut it down.

Union secretary Alex Claassens later rejects this, arguing the limited industrial action would cause delays but was easy to work around if Sydney Trains was properly prepared.

5am: Sydney Trains tell passengers via social media that all trains and cancelled and they will need to find alternative transport.

Train staff show up to work, only to find themselves locked out. Union bosses are also taken by surprise, thinking the deal was still in place.

8am: Mr Claassens hold an emotional press conference where he lashes the government and explains the death of his friend on the job is an example of why workers are demanding better safety standards.

He earlier went on radio to accuse the government of ‘spitting the dummy’ and shutting down the network to embarrass the union.

‘The ball is in their court, our members are ready to go to work. As soon as the government decides they want to run trains, we can run them.

‘It’s Transport for NSW and the government’s call to shut down the network. I went to bed last night expecting trains to be running this morning. It’s very disappointing.’ 

Mr Claasens held back tears at his press conference on Monday morning as he revealed the shutdown was a very personal matter.

‘Yesterday was also a very important day for me, because it was two years ago a friend of mine died in a train accident,’ he said.

The veteran union leader paused for a moment to hold back his tears and regather his composure.

‘For me to have to go through all this rubbish and stand here and justify why we’re taking protective industrial action, which we’re allowed to do legally under the law. We have done everything by the book.’

Mr Claassens said the ‘altered work ban’ the union planned to implement would only have caused delays if Sydney Trains failed to adapt to it.

‘Workers will be taking protected industrial action, but only transport management will notice the impact, not commuters,’ he said.

Speaking to media on Monday, RTBU branch secretary Alex Claasens held back tears as he revealed the shutdown was a very personal matter

Speaking to media on Monday, RTBU branch secretary Alex Claasens held back tears as he revealed the shutdown was a very personal matter

Town Hall has been barricaded as train services are crippled by widespread cancellations in Sydney

Town Hall has been barricaded as train services are crippled by widespread cancellations in Sydney

Commuters have directed their rage at the NSW government and blamed them for the transport chaos

Commuters have directed their rage at the NSW government and blamed them for the transport chaos

‘If commuters see any impact to their services, it won’t be because of workers’ actions, but because the NSW Government is spitting the dummy and trying to make a point.’ 

Mr Claassens said union members would be at work ready to go as soon as management and the government let them.

‘All members will be at work, ready to work. They will be ready and waiting to crew the trains. There is no impediment, only stubbornness on behalf of the NSW Government,’ he said.

‘The actions being taken are designed to make life hard for transport management, not commuters.

‘There’s no strike – workers are simply performing the shifts we’re set without any changes.’

The NSW Government took the issue to the Fair Work Commission on Sunday night trying to cancel the industrial action, after spending another $500,000 in legal fees on conciliation meetings with the union on Saturday.

Trains were due to go ahead but with significant delays after a series of court actions over the weekend as the union, management, and the NSW Government squabbled over details of long-running industrial action. 

Outraged commuters have taken to social media to vent their frustration over having to catch several buses because of the train service shutdown

Outraged commuters have taken to social media to vent their frustration over having to catch several buses because of the train service shutdown

Trains were due to go ahead but with significant delays after a series of court actions over the weekend as the union, management, and the NSW Government squabbled over details of long-running industrial action

Trains were due to go ahead but with significant delays after a series of court actions over the weekend as the union, management, and the NSW Government squabbled over details of long-running industrial action

A closed sign is set up outside the turnstiles at a train station in Sydney with commuters forced to make last minute travel alternatives to get to work

A closed sign is set up outside the turnstiles at a train station in Sydney with commuters forced to make last minute travel alternatives to get to work

Mr Sharp, a former Virgin Australia boss, claimed the industrial action the union planned for the next two weeks would compromise safety.

‘These impacts result in hundreds and thousands of customers being left stranded, unable to get to work, school and where they need to be,’ he wrote.

‘We are doing everything possible to minimise the impact on commuters and sincerely apologise to people inconvenienced by this industrial action.’ 

Transport Minister David Elliot, whose office was responsible for shutting down the trains, tried to blame the union for the debacle.

‘This is the most un-Australian act I’ve ever heard of,’ he said. 

Prime Minister Scott Morrison backed up his Coalition partners in NSW by attacking the ‘disrespectful’ union for inconveniencing commuters.

‘There are people this morning who are going to have an overpriced Uber, or they’re not going to be able to get to work,’ he said on 2GB radio.

‘This is just not how you behave and this is not how you treat your fellow citizens. 

‘This is not how this should be done, and I feel for all of those Sydneysiders today who are affected by this strike.

‘The disrespect being shown to their fellow Sydneysiders today who are going about their day, kids trying to get to school, parents getting their week underway… all having to deal with the unions carrying on like this in the middle of the night to cause such a terrible disruption.’

A huge queue of cars on Sydney's M2 as commuters took to the roads following the train service shutdown

A huge queue of cars on Sydney’s M2 as commuters took to the roads following the train service shutdown

A sign at Town Hall Station informing commuters the train station is closed and advising then to use 'alternative modes of transport'

A sign at Town Hall Station informing commuters the train station is closed and advising then to use ‘alternative modes of transport’

Mr Morrison said the first international visitors to Australia in two years were being greeted with no trains at Australia’s biggest gateway.

‘This is an important day that Australians have looked forward to,’ he said.

‘The union movement has decided to really pull the rug out from under that on our first day back.’

Employee Relations Minister Damien Tudehope claimed the train network couldn’t operate safely as a result of the union bans. 

‘They won’t work their rostered shifts, or overtime, signallers won’t work to the roster, noticed won’t be delivered to change timetables, the train system would be in chaos,’ he said.

‘It’s effectively saying to commuters of Sydney that ‘we don’t care about your convenience, your business, you taking the kids to school, doctors and nurses trying to get to work.

‘It’s using commuters of Sydney as pawns to achieve a political outcome, we’ll be back before the Fair Work Commission to get this resolved.

‘This is industrial bastardry at it’s finest.’

Commuters wait for buses with no trains to jump on to on their way to work

Commuters wait for buses with no trains to jump on to on their way to work

The union, transport authorities, and the state government have been at each others throats for months over a new enterprise agreement, with 30 meetings in the past six months alone.

Workers want better safety and hygiene standards and improved pay and conditions and successive negotiations have failed.

The union planned a ban on overtime and various flexible rostering conditions that make the network better able to respond to last-minute changes. 

Both parties met on Saturday for a conciliation meeting to hammer out a short-term compromise, with transport and the government reportedly bringing a team of 10 lawyers estimated to have cost taxpayers $500,000.

They agreed to a compromise where the union would drop its overtime ban in exchange for Sydney Trains and the government dropping its plan to force the enterprise agreement to be arbitrated by the FWC.

Union bosses claim if the agreement was decided by the FWC it would side with the government and Sydney Trains because it was stacked with anti-union judges.

The union stressed that if there was a major incident or safety issue, workers would scramble to clear any risk even if it went against the industrial action.

‘If there is a genuine safety risk on the railway, we will always ensure the safety of all workers and the public,’ the union said on Sunday. 

Train schedule board shows there are no services running at all from that, or any other, station

Train schedule board shows there are no services running at all from that, or any other, station

Then on Sunday night, both sides accused each other of reneging on the deal and Crown solicitors took the union to court to cancel the industrial action.

The government failed and the union resolved to continue with its plans with huge delays expected across the network.

‘The NSW Government today used anti-union laws to try and shut down our members’ right to take industrial action,’ the union said.

‘If the last few days have taught us anything, it’s that we have a government that is willing to try anything to screw us over, no matter what the cost to taxpayers.

‘We need to, and we will, stand together to beat this heartless and mortally bankrupt government. Our anger is palpable.’

Both parties will appear before the Fair Work Commission at 9am to thrash out the issue. 

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