Industrial action is threatening to plunge Sydney’s rail network into chaos. A federal court ruling against the state government has given the Rail Union a green light to go ahead with their stop-work plans. It means delays and cancelled services could disrupt commuters this evening and on the biggest night of the year.
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00:00Industrial warfare is starting to look a lot like déjà vu, and now it's threatening Sydney's
00:08biggest night of the year.
00:11We will not negotiate with a gun to our head.
00:14We can't have a situation where New Year's Eve is destroyed for millions of people in
00:18Sydney.
00:19After an 11th hour injunction, the federal court today ruled in favour of the rail unions,
00:25paving the way for further train strikes across Sydney's network.
00:30We're always confident that we're going to have a victory in the end and we're very happy
00:33that the federal court sided with us.
00:36As a result, industrial action will recommence immediately.
00:39The union says it plans to reduce the speed trains will travel and how many kilometres
00:44rail crews will work each shift.
00:47Buses and trains are needed on New Year's because transportation and Ubers are too expensive.
00:54I'm worried about, you know, if something happens because it's a celebration, it's coming
00:59soon next week.
01:01The rail union and government have been locked in a battle over calls for a 32% pay rise,
01:08but after weeks of failed negotiations, both sides are fed up.
01:13Now even the nurses have joined the cause.
01:16The workers of New South Wales will not be divided and we will continue to fight to get
01:21a normal pay rise, a responsible pay rise for our workers.
01:25I can't be in a situation where we're saying yes to rail workers, but no to nurses in the
01:30same breath.
01:31The government insists it's pursuing all legal options, including lodging a bid with the
01:36Fair Work Commission.
01:37I don't do it lightly, but we will have to seek legal remedies.
01:43People are just going to stay away rather than fight the uncertainty of trying to get
01:47into the city by road.
01:48But with just a few sleeps until Christmas and New Year's Eve, that's a situation the
01:53government is trying to avoid.
01:56Train strikes, or even the threat of them, could cause major economic uncertainty at
02:01a time when all eyes are on the Harbour City.