Free lifetime travel for Unions — nothing for families
Damien Tudehope
Acting NSW Leader of the Opposition
Scott Farlow
Acting Shadow Minister for Transport and Roads
The Minns Labor Government has struck yet another secret backroom deal, this time with the Rail, Tram and Bus Union (RTBU) - delivering more than 100 perks and sweeteners with zero transparency and no costings revealed to the public.
According to media reports last night, the deal includes training bonuses, free travel gold passes, no forced redundancies, and union representatives embedded in every future network decision. Meanwhile, everyday workers, families and commuters are left in the dark.
No one disputes that our frontline workers and public servants deserve fair pay. They are the ones who keep the State running, not the Minns Labor Government, which has become addicted to headlines, inquiries, spin and re-announcements to appear to be doing something.
But while nurses are still waiting for a pay rise and are forced to pay to park at the very hospitals they work in, this deal gifts free lifetime travel passes to RTBU members, something not afforded to any other part of the public sector. Where is the fairness? Where is the equality?
For all the disruption, all the delays, all the spin and all the secret meetings, the only thing the public receives is two days of free travel as small compensation for the months of chaos on our rail network. That’s it. No meaningful cost-of-living relief. No new infrastructure. No new ideas. Just another union payoff from an already tired Labor Government that’s already run out of steam who will say sorry and that they need to do better.
The Minns Labor Government has:
Refused to publicly release the full agreement
Stacked the transport network with embedded union veto power
Axed the Country Trains division with no community consultation
Offered nothing to struggling households battling the cost-of-living crisis
Failed to deliver any new infrastructure on their own since taking office
Acting Leader of the Opposition, Damien Tudehope said this is a government that says one thing in public and does another behind closed doors.
“The public deserve transparency, not cover-ups, not secrecy, and not a train deal that reads more like a union Christmas wish list,” Mr Tudehope said.
Acting Shadow Minister for Transport and Roads, Scott Farlow said while nurses pay to park and families get no help with bills, Labor has gifted the RTBU gold passes, free travel and total control over the transport system.
“This is not a fair deal—this is political protection dressed up as policy,” Mr Farlow said.
The State Budget contained nothing for cost-of-living relief. No back-to-school help. No energy reprieve. Instead, the Minns Labor Government gave the RTBU free travel and left everyone else behind.
Related Articles: #FamiliesandCommunities | #Infrastructure | #Transport
