Prime Minister Urges ‘Common Sense’ in Sydney Rail Dispute

Commuters wait to board a train at Central railway station in Sydney, Australia, on Jan.15, 2025. Lisa Maree Williams/Getty Images

Prime Minister Anthony Albanese has called on the Rail, Tram, and Bus Union (RTBU) to “see common sense” and end its prolonged pay dispute with the New South Wales (NSW) Minns government.

On Feb. 17, hundreds of train services were cancelled after 115 drivers and guards did not sign in for their shifts at 5 a.m.

It comes right after more than 4,000 services were cancelled as 1,500 rail workers called in absent over the weekend, which caused major chaos across Sydney’s transport network.

“I support very much the efforts of the Minns government to bring this dispute to an end. Common sense has to apply here, and I think that the union needs to acknowledge that it is alienating people through these actions of not turning up to work,” Albanese said on ABC Radio.

Asked if the strikes were harming the economy or public safety, Albanese responded that NSW Premier Chris Minns was working “very hard to get an end to this dispute.”

However, he wrapped up the issue saying it is a state dispute.

Premier May Go to PM for Help

The prime minister’s remarks came as Minns hinted at seeking federal intervention if the state government fails to secure a suspension of rail strikes through the Fair Work Commission (FWC) on Feb. 19.

“Everything is on the table pending the outcome of the case tomorrow. I’m not going to rule anything out, including going to the prime minister,” he told 2GB Radio.

The NSW opposition has also pressured the state government to seek federal assistance, though Minns emphasised that such a step had never been taken before.

“That step has never been taken—during the previous near decade in power from the previous federal Liberal government, they’ve never invoked that power,” he said.

Minns Rejects ‘Ridiculous’ Union Demands

The premier has taken a firm stance against the RTBU, calling its latest demands “outrageous.”

The union initiated fresh strike action on Feb. 14 calling for a $4,500 sign-on bonus to be added to the government’s enterprise bargaining offer.

It has since demanded that striking workers be paid for taking industrial action, an idea Minns has dismissed as “ridiculous.”

“It would mean more industrial disruptions… it might be in three months, or six months or 12 months, but it would only embolden them, and you’d have more disruptions on our railways,” he said.

“I promise you; that’s an invitation for chaos—longer-term chaos—on the transport network,” Minns added.