NSW transport minister Andrew Constance says commuters will be the biggest losers if train drivers go ahead with a strike ordered by the Rail, Tram and Bus Union on January 29.
Constance on Wednesday didn’t mince words when asked about what the strikes would mean for Sydney.
“Ultimately the roadways will be a mess,” he was quoted by ABC. “We will have no trains operating. It will be chaos and the union know that.”
The RTBU this week announced a strike planned for all 24 hours of January 29 – a Monday – as part of an ongoing battle between it and the Government over a new enterprise agreement for drivers on Sydney and NSW train networks.
“I can’t pull buses out of thin air,” the minister said, warning the union to call off the strike action. “The best thing the union can do is make sure they not proceed with their strike action, allow the negotiations to proceed … and we go from there.”
Sydney Business Chamber executive director Patricia Forsythe labelled the call to strike “simply outrageous,” and said it would have “a crippling impact” on businesses across the city.
“[The strike order] is absolutely the wrong message to give and if heeded will have a significant impact on Sydney’s economy and Sydney’s reputation,” Forsythe said.
“The potential impact of the strike based on the strength of the Sydney economy is likely to be more than $100 million.”