Sydney commuters have been warned to expect significant delays this month due to more industrial action from the Rail, Tram, and Bus Union (RTBU). As the dispute between the state government and RTBU continues, Sydneysiders are looking at three weeks of chaos with several strikes planned this month.
The industrial action is a result of safety concerns over a new fleet of Korean-built trains which the RTBU regards as unsafe.
Everything we know about the upcoming strikes
Nine different strikes have been planned throughout August with some disrupting train services. On August 7, transport officers will refuse to issue fines and cautions. This will be followed by a strike on August 10 which will impact train services in the T4 Illawarra and South Coast line along with some Sydney services including Bondi Junction from 10am to 4pm.
August 17 will see a strike impacting Sydney’s inner west and regional areas and Newcastle, Penrith and western NSW will be affected with a strike on August 23. Areas across the CBD will be hit with a strike on August 25. Additionally, on August 12 cleaners will be banned from using vacuum cleaners or scrubbing machines on the stations and on August 13, station staff will leave all gates open to the public at all times.
On top of this, there will also be a ban on the operation of foreign made trains which make up a whopping 70 percent of the fleet.
“We’ve done everything by the book in order to get these vital safety changes, but the government is refusing to listen,” RTBU NSW secretary Alex Claassens said in a statement on Tuesday.
Buses will be running per normal but commuters have been adviced to keep an eye on service updates in their area. Some replacement buses will operate in certain areas. Customers are also advised to plan ahead and leave extra travel time.
Follow the Union NSW Twitter page for regular updates.