Australian Manufacturing Workers’ Union members who maintain the XPT trains that travel between Sydney, Melbourne, and Brisbane are taking 24 hours of protected industrial action today.
These workers are fighting back against the threat they face from privatisation and the offshoring of our transport infrastructure manufacturing.
The XPT fleet is due to be replaced, and when the Spanish-built regional rail fleet arrives, the new trains will be maintained by private contractors, not Transport for NSW employees.
AMWU XPT members need job security guarantees from Transport for NSW. They are skilled workers who should be retained and retrained, if necessary. They are demanding that the government put provisions in place to guard against further privatisation of the rail network.
All AMWU members at Sydney Trains are fighting for wages that go beyond cost-of-living increases, rostering provisions that allow for a work-life balance, improved job security, and a safe workplace where workers are given PPE that is fit for purpose.
Quotes attributable to Cory Wright – State Secretary AMWU NSW & ACT
“AMWU members have been bargaining with Sydney Trains for months now. They have shown up to every meeting ready to negotiate, but Sydney Trains management has not given them that same courtesy. We hope this action will make Sydney Trains remember that it’s the workers who keep the network running.
Our members at Sydney Trains are the maintenance workers, the people who make sure the trains stay on the tracks. They deserve respect and support from the public - they’re incredibly dedicated to their jobs and have shown up every day of this pandemic despite Covid safety risks.
Sydney Trains management has said they want to reach an agreement and avoid a repeat of the chaos they caused last week, but they’ve yet to commit to a meeting with the Combined Rail Unions this week. Rail workers need more than just talk.”
Media contact: Sophia Morris - 0400 889 166 or [email protected]