Opal card readers will be switched off on three light rail lines for four days this week, as part of a year-long pay dispute between tram workers and the network’s private operator, Transdev.
From the first service on Monday, November 11 until the final service on Thursday, November 14, fares on the L1 Dulwich Hill, L2 Randwick, and L3 Kingsford lines will be free of charge. The fare-free days are an attempted circuit-breaker by the NSW Government, as the union representing light rail workers, the Rail, Tram, and Bus Union (RTBU), threatens further industrial action that could disrupt services across the city later this week.
Having expressed dissatisfaction with current pay offers, the RTBU is advocating for a new enterprise agreement that includes wage increases, but negotiations with Transdev have not produced an agreement. In response to the impasse, the union indicated that tram drivers would slow services to 10km/h unless fares were reduced to 50 cents per trip, until the government made the decision to intervene with the fare-free concession.
Transport for NSW secretary Josh Murray said the free travel concession was made to enable the union and Transdev to negotiate an end to the dispute, which had been under way for more than a year.
“We are asking the parties to continue that discussion in good faith and not to put passengers and the good running of the city’s transport […] at risk,” Murray said.
However, further industrial action could also come from Thursday, as the union is also calling for suburban and intercity routes extending to Gosford and Wollongong to run on a 24-hour schedule on Thursday, Friday, and Saturday nights. Transport for NSW has prepared contingency measures, including extra buses, in anticipation of potential disruptions.
RTBU NSW Secretary Toby Warnes emphasised the union’s goal of enhancing public transport usage, particularly during the busy festive season, which Warnes describes as the “ideal time” to roll out round-the-clock services. Warnes also noted that the industrial action is not meant to inconvenience passengers, but to push for essential changes in service hours and conditions.
“Our goal is to encourage more people to use public transport, and if we can achieve that alongside our industrial action, it’s a win for everyone,” Warnes said.
We’ll keep you updated with further news on this as it develops.