<?xml version="1.0" encoding="ISO-8859-1"?> <docID>335798</docID> <postdate>2024-12-23 10:15:21</postdate> <headline>Train stand-off continues as union peace deal rejected</headline> <body><p><img class="size-full wp-image-335725" src="https://citynews.com.au/wp-content/uploads/2024/12/20190823001414465137-original-resized.jpg" alt="" width="900" height="600" /></p> <caption>The NSW government has rejected a union peace deal to keep trains on track for New Year's Eve. (Peter Rae/AAP PHOTOS)</caption> <p><span class="kicker-line">By <strong>Neve Brissenden</strong> in Sydney</span></p> <p><strong><span class="h1">A long-running train saga threatening to derail the country's most popular New Year's Eve celebration remains unresolved as a union peace deal is rejected.</span></strong></p> <p>The Rail, Tram and Bus Union offered the NSW government a peace deal on Sunday, promising to pause all protected industrial action if it made public transport travel free until an agreement was reached.</p> <p>The Labor government and the union have been at loggerheads for months over a new enterprise agreement.</p> <p>An application by the government to the Fair Work Commission will be heard on Christmas Eve when the industrial umpire decides whether to suspend the union's industrial action.</p> <p>In a leaked memo to the government, the union set out its offer in response to the application.</p> <p>"Although your application seems to be based on an erroneous understanding of the action that is organised (and) economic evidence consisting entirely of assumptions," the leaked union offer reads.</p> <p>"We nonetheless write to offer a way forward which would enable there to be minimal disruption on New Year's Eve and over the festive period."</p> <p>The union offered to pause all action until January 7 if the government waived fares for Sydney commuters until an agreement was reached.</p> <p>Union NSW secretary Toby Warnes said he had not heard from the government on Monday morning, although a spokeswoman for Premier Chris Minns said the offer would be rejected.</p> <p>"This would cost millions of dollars that we don't have," the spokeswoman said.</p> <p>"If we did do it, the people of NSW know that it has to be paid for by them in another way - it's just not affordable.</p> <p>"We will keep all legal options on the table to ensure this industrial action does not impact the holiday period."</p> <p>The union continues to demand a pay rise of eight per cent a year for four years, which Mr Minns has said is unaffordable.</p> <p>He said the government won't provide it while it is denying nurses a similar claim.</p> <p>The government previously offered 11 per cent across three years, including superannuation increases.</p> <p>On Friday, NSW Police Commissioner Karen Webb threatened to call off the world-famous New Year's Eve fireworks event on Sydney Harbour, citing safety reasons concerning planned industrial action.</p> <p>"I have grave concerns," she told reporters.</p> <p>"I haven't ruled out that I will recommend to the government that we cancel the fireworks."</p> <p>Hundreds of trains were cancelled at the weekend as a result of the union's industrial action, although Mr Warnes said track work also contributed to delays.</p> <p>"It is, of course, a convenient excuse for disruption that's caused by regular maintenance work," he told ABC News on Monday.</p> <p>"But we say to commuters that the government now has an offer on the table that would see absolute peace until January 7."</p> <p>Mr Warnes wants commuters frustrated by the industrial action to bottle their anger to take to the 2027 election.</p> </body>