The NSW premier is blaming the union and Labor for causing "mass disruption" to the state's rail network after all services were cancelled, leaving thousands of commuters stranded in the morning peak hour.
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The shutdown of Sydney's train network on Monday, ordered by state government transport authorities just after midnight, blindsided rail commuters who were left in limbo across Sydney, Newcastle, the Central Coast, Blue Mountains and Illawarra.
Dominic Perrottet said the shutdown was prompted by the Rail, Tram and Bus Union failing to appear at industrial talks on Sunday, and was part of a "coordinated, concerted attack" on the government by the union and Labor.
"This is the Labor Party in bed with the union movement to cause mass disruption ... the Labor-backed unions have been working on these strikes for many many months," Mr Perrottet told reporters.
He was angry that trains were out of action on a day when Australia's borders were opening to international arrivals after a two-year hiatus, when children were trying to get to school and university students were returning to campus.
The RTBU blamed the transport chaos on the government, saying rail workers turned up for work but that the Perrottet administration used a "high-stakes tactic" to cancel services then "blamed it on industrial action".
"Let's correct the record: rail services can continue to operate. Premier Dominic Perrottet shut them down," the union said on Twitter.
RTBU NSW Secretary Alex Claassens insisted rail workers were not on strike and were ready to get trains back moving "at a minute's notice".
"It's not about money. It's always been about safety issues, about protections against privatisation," he said at Sydney's Central Station.
Transport Minister David Elliott labelled the shutdown a "snap strike" and called on the union to come back to negotiating table "with clean hands".
He said the RTBU wanted the government to fold on industrial demands in a bid to damage it 12 months out from an election.
"I think we're going to have a large stand-off right now because they cannot use Sydney's transport system for some sort of terrorist-like activity."
Transport for NSW cancelled trains, saying the union action made it impossible to safely operate services.
The spat is part of a long-running industrial dispute over a new enterprise agreement, with the government and union locked in a bitter industrial dispute since 2021 over safety guarantees, hygiene and privatisation concerns that has resulted in two work stoppages since September.
NSW Employee Relations Minister Damien Tudehope said a meeting with the union on Sunday night failed to result in a deal that worked for all sides.
Work rosters were "at the crux" of the dispute and meant the rail system would not have run to a government timetable on Monday, sparking the network shutdown.
"Sydney Trains took the view that we could not properly, reliably and safely operate Sydney trains," he said.
Prime Minister Scott Morrison condemned the union for leaving commuters stranded, saying it was disrespectful to fellow Sydneysiders trying to get children to school.
"This is just not how you behave and this is not how you treat your fellow citizens," Mr Morrison said.
A hearing to resolve the crisis is currently underway at the Fair Work Commission in Sydney but an outcome is not expected today, a union spokesperson told AAP.
Commuters are being urged to use alternative modes of transport, and allow extra time for trips.
Australian Associated Press
