Karl Stefanovic has unleashed a scathing tirade against the rail union boss after hundreds of trains were canceled and further delayed, throwing Sydney transport into chaos.
Across Sydney, an estimated 1,500 rail services – about 40 per cent – were canceled or significantly delayed during peak hours on Wednesday morning.
Only 16 percent of morning services were on time or within five minutes of their scheduled departure, wreaking havoc on morning commuters as more than 80 percent of services were canceled or arrived up to six hours late.
The 350 current work bans imposed by the electricity union and the railway, tram and bus union were the result of their planned industrial action.
Dozens of trains were canceled and delayed again on Thursday as unions and the state government failed to reach an agreement in their long-standing wage dispute.
The RTBU also launched ten new actions and remained steadfast in its demands for a 32 percent pay increase over four years for its members.
Stefanovic spoke to RTBU secretary Toby Warnes on Thursday morning and denounced the industrial action.
The Today presenter asked the union boss how he felt knowing he had ‘lost the people’ after Wednesday’s work bans.
Today host Carl Stefanovic criticized RTBU secretary Toby Warnes for the industrial action after more than 1,500 train services were canceled or delayed, causing commuter chaos in Sydney
‘Yes, look. Not great. Yesterday was a tough day. I think it was a difficult day for everyone,” Mr Warnes said.
“The facts of what happened yesterday are unfortunately not as clear-cut as what has been released.”
Mr Warnes explained that the industrial action was more than ‘just a trade union strike’ and claimed the majority of cancellations and delays were due to the Electrical Trades Union refusing to carry out critical maintenance work between Bondi Junction and Homebush.
Stefanovic fired back, claiming Warnes had ‘stuffed it’ and the Sydneysiders were suffering as a result.
‘Ultimately, people just want to go to work. They want to be able to live their lives again,” Stefanovic said.
‘Now it has collapsed, now people are angry, now people want a solution and now you have lost the support of people outside. You stuffed it.”
Mr Warnes said he did not ‘accept’ that and claimed the union had asked the state government to resume negotiations to figure out the ‘magic number’.
Stefanovic intervened and denounced the union boss, claiming that the negotiations had lost popular support. had lost popular support.
RTBU secretary Toby Warnes said the union remained steadfast in its demands, claiming its members were ‘in this fight for the long haul’.
“It’s gotten to the point now where you’ve lost the people, you’ve lost the support, and all they want is a solution and that’s not happening,” Stefanovic said.
‘Now they blame you. There is no solution in sight, their lives are being hit hard and they have had enough.
“So you need to turn around, right?”
Mr Warnes replied: ‘I don’t think so. We receive instructions from our members. The members are still very much behind us.”
Stefanovic interrupted the union boss, arguing that members “cannot” support the union, especially after Wednesday’s travel chaos.
“Absolutely,” said Mr Warnes. “They are fighting for the long term.”
“Unfortunately, when things like yesterday happen, things have turned ugly.
‘It’s easy to use the union as a scapegoat. I understand that people are angry. We hope we can get things back on track.
“Our ban on running the trains a little slower will not cause the inconvenience we saw yesterday, and hopefully today will run a lot better than yesterday.”
The industrial action caused chaos for commuters during Wednesday morning’s peak hour as 1,500 services were canceled or significantly delayed
Stefanovic claimed the union could not ‘continue to hold the people of Sydney to ransom’.
Commuters were warned to allow extra travel time on Thursday as the RTBU continued its industrial action.
Extended delays, service cancellations and very significant gaps in service across the rail network are expected to continue tomorrow due to ongoing protected industrial action,” Sydney Trains wrote on X.
‘Please postpone non-essential travel, allow extra travel time and consider all your transport options.’
Disruptions are expected to worsen from Friday, with rail workers refusing to lift the system that controls the network’s traffic lights.
Meanwhile, new work bans will also be introduced, including a strike on ‘hazardous waste’ and an eight-day ban on ‘absolute signal blocking’ – which is used to close parts of the track for maintenance.
Although separate unions, the ETU and the RTBU work together as part of the Combined Rail Unions to negotiate terms with the government.
The union has refused to lift its work bans unless the government resumes negotiations.
The union has remained steadfast in its demands, calling for a significant pay increase, a 35-hour working week and a 1 percent increase in the retirement age.
The NSW government on Tuesday offered the union a 15 per cent pay increase over four years, including a one per cent pension.
Transport Minister Jo Haylen said the industrial action had squeezed “the life out of our rail network” and urged union members to accept the “final offer”.
However, the offer was less than half of the Combined Rail Union’s demands of a 32 percent pay increase over four years.