Sydney light rail drivers on strike on Monday for 24 hours over safety issues

Sydney’s light rail trains are not running for 24 hours on Monday, June 20, as drivers go on strike over safety issues. Although buses would replace services between Central and Duwich Hill, commuters had been warned of possible chaos over the strike.

Drivers from the Rail, Tram and Bus Union started the strike at midnight because of the alleged refusal of Transdev Sydney, the private transport operator of Sydney’s light rail system, to address safety concerns. David Woollams, union president, in a statement issued on Monday, cites the risks commuters face due to “dangerously crowded carriages and unrealistic passenger turnaround times,” reports News.com.au.

He adds, “Now the company also wants to increase driver shift limits and decrease their breaks as part of the current enterprise agreement negotiations.” Woollams accuses Transdev Sydney of refusing to take seriously the concerns raised by the union over the nine months of negotiations.

Daily Telegraph reports that it was the second work stoppage by the union, the first was on Thursday for four hours. The drivers also held a uniform-free day as a sign of their protest.

Transdev made two offers to the drivers, but the union rejected the offers, the union president says. The union made a counter offer to Transdev, but Woolllams says the union has yet to receive an adequate response from their employer, although he is hopeful Transdev would return to the negotiating table.

Brian Brennan, managing director of Transdev Sydney, disagrees with the union’s accusation that is operations are unsafe to riders or employees. He says the union only raised the safety issue in media after eight to nine months of EBA negotiations.

In anticipation of Sydney’s population expecting to hit 5 million within a decade, the New South Wales government is building new roads that would link M1 and M2 and M4 and M5 as well as a new metro train system in the city’s West, Commercial Business District and South East.

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