Chris Minns slams train strike with brutal takedown as peace deal falls apart and New Year’s Eve fireworks face the axe: ‘Trust issue’

A decision to bow to the demands of a railway union in the hope of a resolution has been branded stupid by the leader who made it.

The Rail, Tram and Bus Union presented the NSW government with a peace deal on Sunday, promising to pause all protected industrial action if it made public transport free until an agreement was reached.

The Labor government and the union have been at loggerheads for months over a new works agreement.

A government request to the Fair Work Commission will be heard on Christmas Eve, when the industrial adjudicator will decide whether industrial action should be suspended.

In a leaked memo to the government, the union explained its offer in response to the application.

“Although your application appears to be based on a misunderstanding of the organized action (and) on economic evidence consisting entirely of assumptions,” the leaked union offer reads.

‘Nevertheless, we are writing to offer a path forward that will allow for minimal disruption on New Year’s Eve and over the festive period.’

The union offered to suspend all action until January 7 if the government waived fares for Sydney commuters until an agreement was reached.

Union NSW secretary Toby Warnes said on Monday morning he had not heard from the government.

Premier Chris Minns said the deal would be rejected despite agreeing to free fares for two weekends since June to appease unions and broker a deal.

“I simply agreed to this twice in the last six months, hoping it would resolve the labor dispute, but nothing changed,” he told reporters on Monday.

“It’s a trust issue, we don’t trust the union to meet all their industrial demands.”

The Prime Minister said the government and taxpayers cannot afford to maintain free rates indefinitely.

The union continues to demand an eight percent annual wage increase for four years, which Mr Minns says is unaffordable.

He said the government will not provide this while denying nurses a similar claim.

The government previously offered 11 percent over three years, including increases in pension benefits.

The Rail, Tram and Bus Union presented the NSW government with a peace deal on Sunday, promising to pause all protected industrial action if it made public transport free until an agreement was reached

On Friday, NSW Police Commissioner Karen Webb threatened to cancel the world-famous New Year’s Eve fireworks event on Sydney Harbour, citing safety concerns over planned industrial action.

“I’m very concerned,” she told reporters.

“I do not rule out recommending that the government cancel the fireworks.”

Mr Minns said canceling the fireworks was not off the table, but he had other tricks up his sleeve before it got to that point.

“We do have options if we’re not successful tomorrow, I don’t want to speculate about it… but you know what, nothing is off the table,” he said.

Hundreds of trains were canceled this weekend as a result of the industrial action, although Mr Warnes said track works had also contributed to delays.

“It’s obviously a convenient excuse for disruptions caused by regular maintenance work,” he told ABC News on Monday.

“But we are telling commuters that the government now has an offer on the table that would provide absolute peace until January 7.”

Mr Warnes wants commuters frustrated by the industrial action to bottle their anger and take it into the 2027 election.