Sunday 15 May 2022 10:19 PM Sydney trains: Warning of major strike 'on a scale not yet seen' that will ... trends now
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The head of the rail union has warned there will be industrial action on a 'force and scale they've not yet seen from us' ahead of a meeting with the NSW premier.
Rail Tram and Bus Union NSW Secretary Alex Claassens will attempt to smooth over tensions with the government in a meeting with Dominic Perrottet on Monday.
It comes after Industrial Relations Minister Damien Tudehope shot down union demands for changes to CCTV cameras and allowing guards to lean out of train doors.
The NSW government says union demands for safety upgrades to a new train fleet are unreasonable and will cost taxpayers $1 billion, but guards claim commuters would be put at risk.
The $1 billion cost would come on top of the $30 million per month the government is already paying to warehouse the New Intercity Fleet (NIF).
The union claims cameras on the new intercity train fleet are lower quality and are obstructed by opening doors.
It also says they don't allow for guards to stick their heads out to visually check the train is safe to depart.
On Thursday, Finance Minister Damien Tudehope announced he had cancelled all talks with the Rail, Tram and Bus Union, shattering five weeks of intensive negotiations led by Transport Minister David Elliott.
Mr Claassens said the government were playing political games with a serious safety issue.
'(It was) very disappointing listening today to (Treasurer) Matt Kean and Damien Tudehope, trying to turn this into a political issue when it's clearly not,' Mr Claassens told reporters on Friday.
'It's never been a political issue.'
Union members first raised safety concerns about the
