Public Transport NSW - Sydney -Latest Ongoing Industrial Action

Has anyone been severely impacted by the latest "selfish" transport travesty??

It buggers my mind how they can even justify their current wages $87K-157K plus?? 127K plus to "drive" a train…really ;))

If station attendants get $87K what do they really do - clean toilets , empty bins, tell people what trains to catch? what else? because any other issues they just call the police anyways? Are they not just glorified "check out" attendants at ColesWorth??

They should be sent to asia/aftrica as a work exchange program for a few years to find out what they are getting paid, of course comparable rent and cost of living etc

Also working for the state government there are incentives eg salary sacrificing mortgages etc

If transport NSW need revenue they can charge similar to airlines eg extra cost of a seat for each luggage, 2 extra seats for bikes, extra seat for prams and trolleys and an extra seat for really big people. Get those white shirts ticket inspectors to measure the girth of the posterior of really large people, if more than 10% of standard seat size then they have to pay for 2 seats. Only allow 1 free bag as carry on….even if all this is implemented it would still be cheaper than catching Taxis and Uber etc

How come Transport QLD can actually give free fare, and Transport Victoria get 50c fares and NSW can not do this?

your thoughts…

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Comments

  • +9

    127K plus to "drive" a train

    Tell me you don't know anything about being a train engineer without telling me.

    It's not an uber driving you to see your mother.

    f station attendants get $87K

    I just googled this and see several sources including the GOV website saying it's about $50-$60k, so I don't know what you're smoking.

    I'm guessing you're repeating a figure you saw on a news website that cherry picked an absolute upper limit salary value.

    • +16

      since when were train drivers engineers

      • +2

        Maybe when they were steam locomotives…..
        .

      • +8

        How many of these train "engineers" have an engineering degree?I am curious…….

        • Very few of them have the bare minimum in education.. they just have to do. Cert lll in train driving paid for by the employer. So basically most NSW rail employees need to just have a pulse. Those who actually do the maintenance of the tracks and lines, do hold certifications such as electrical licences, but to call a train driver an engineer is a HIGE stretch! Bring on the metro trains to all the lines.

    • +11

      lol train engineer, fuk off bruz

      unless you do a 4 year honors course at university……you dont deserve to call yourself an engineer

      • What if you didn’t do honors?
        Never saw that requirement from engineers Australia.

        • They probably meant bachelors… most of the bachelors degrees now have research and design projects and give you honours subject to your final GPA

    • +11

      Haha common bro. Stop the comparison to real Engineers. Train drivers are JUST Tafe thing, and ain't even close to real ENGINEERS.

  • They think of themselves as professionals and feel they deserve recognition that reflects their career. Unlike Coles Cashier

    Bus Driver don't earn that high from my understanding 100K+ if they do overtimes and taking extra shifts.

  • How come Transport QLD can actually give free fare, and Transport Victoria get 50c fares and NSW can not do this?

    First of all, that's not what they're called.
    Second, wasn't it QLD that was doing 50c fares? Last I heard, PTV was increasing fares again.

  • +2

    How come Transport QLD can actually give free fare, and Transport Victoria get 50c fares and NSW can not do this?

    it's called taxes

    • Doesn't NSW have the highest tax rate of all Australian states?

    • We don't tax mining corporates like Gina enough. Norway tax oil and gas mining at 78% , here in Australia the federal government subsidize miners instead!

      In Australia we privatised profits and socialised losses.

  • -8

    Yes please correct the figures so we all know exactly what they really earn also all their benefits? what else can they salary sacrifice? How many weeks sick/personal leave pay do they get? would be nice to get properly educated as to what they really want.

    • +5

      Are you considering work as a train driver? It seems you think it is paid very we’ll for little work.

  • +4

    Has anyone been severely impacted by the latest "selfish" transport travesty??
    It buggers my mind how they can even justify their current wages

    Have you OP?

    If so then it appears these jobs are pretty important regardless what you think. Hope your mind's okay, sounds pretty full on!

  • Ray Hadley is that you? Bored of your retirement already?

  • -7

    I am sure Gomez Addams would drive those trains for free, he loves trains ;)

    In the end if they are not happy working in a comparably cushy job - get ANOTHER job

    • +1

      If you're not happy with the trains and the way they're run - travel ANOTHER way.

      See how that works?

  • +1

    My thoughts? The strike is a PIA. But This is just another opportunistic political thread .They pop up at every opportunity to attack sitting ALP govts. It isn't a coincidence.
    The % of these VS any criticism of the LNP side via posts or comments is way skewed. Eve when QLD/VIC Labor govt offered free and 50 Cent options the whinges continued.

    "They should be sent to asia/aftrica as a work exchange program for a few years to find out what they are getting paid, of course comparable rent and cost of living etc"
    Lol. The old apples and pears compare. Exchange means more of the same incoming doesn't it? So no thanks.
    Maybe you should repay any and all union workplace achievements that delivered the rates you have earned over time in your working life,too?

    You have some really good ideas about how to fix things. Have you thought about a career in the advisory role in politics?
    One Nation needs some new any policies.

  • -5

    Well whats your solution? Mr Braniac?
    Give them all $300K base salaries?

    • +1

      get the kids working at Macca's working as traffic sign holders instead

    • +1

      Who are you talking to?

      • +2

        Himself.( Mr Brainiac.) He's being facetious.

    • Teach them how to use the reply button

  • +12

    Time to replace those with driverless trains. More Metro trains.

    • +4

      more metro plz, convert the entire sydnet trains network to metro

  • -3

    LOL +2

  • +7

    OP sounds like they're 12 and this is a school holiday post.

    • +1

      12? Maybe in dog years

    • +1

      They likely finished year 12 and this is just another sign of our failing edukayshun system.

  • -2

    12 yo too busy committing crimes ;)

    • +6

      Please use the reply button.

      • [ please get a grown up to show you the reply button and how it works ]

  • +1

    So much for the 'lets get everyone back to the office' initiative.

  • +3

    My thoughts are good on them for trying for a good wage. Hope they're successful. Too many people here just get a bare minimum increase or no increase and suck it up.

    Sucks if you're impacted but that's the way it goes. People who complain about this sort of thing are usually selfish and can only think as far as how it affects them in the short term and nothing further.

  • +9

    Better tax laws for large corporations would mean more public money, which would mean better wages. The NSW government is the largest employer in the state, IIRC. We know trickle-down economics does not work, but more money for normal people should put more money into the economy.

    Another benefit of more tax money would be better education which would eventually reduce the frequency of these posts.

    • +3

      Yep it's very mega rich who are dodging the most taxes and who have the greatest influence on our govts and democracy. We are the twin of the US on that front Rinehart is interfering influencing policies (and therefore voting) here as much or more than Musk is in the USA.
      I wonder if she'll still be kissing Trumps arse if he imposes tariffs on China and they stop buying our her iron ore.
      Or will she be immune?

      BTW as Gina would know, China have already moved on securing onshore lithium resources.If they find enough medium / high grade iron ore she might be cutting back on caviar burgers.

      • +4

        National Mining Day should be mandatory watching.

        Gina complaining about taxes under the current government, praising Trump, the DOGE, a guest appearance from Dutton promising to be the resource sector's best friend. Maybe Gina will be our Elon under Dutton running our own DOGE.

        Also, nice seeing Pauline make an appearance. She also had in Thailand holiday with Gina.

        Royalties and taxation on various mining corporations are well worth learning about.

        • National Mining Day should be mandatory watching.

          Wow! These "drill baby drill" people are next level.

    • We don't tax mining corporates like Gina enough. Norway tax oil and gas mining at 78% , here in Australia the federal government subsidize miners instead!

      In Australia we privatised profits and socialised losses.

  • -1

    Maybe it's a gravy train and only Paul Kelly has the recipe?

  • +6

    In another 4 years the rail workers will just do the same thing again, if not before then, there needs to be a better solution. If you were to ask the majority of people I think they would say they don’t like or care about either side and are just sick of it. If only the general public could decide and vote on what they think is a fair pay increase for rail workers.

    • Another 4 years they'll be begging to keep their jobs. In another 10 their jobs will be gone. They'll have to go back to driving a bus.

  • -6

    Wow so many rail "workers" on Ozbargains ;) They sound very intelligent too…with all their reply "button"

    "We apologize for the inconvenience, thank you for your patience"
    "Please stand behind the yellow line"….. Thump

    • +1

      Time for some self reflection?

    • +6

      If you can't work out reply buttons, a yellow line probably would be a challenge.

    • +1

      So you've been told about the reply button multiple times but are still too "intelligent" to use it?

  • -3

    Dear Transport minister,
    Do not give in to these selfish extortionist.
    I am counting on you to privatize the rail network!

    • +8

      Be careful what you wish for. Privatised services in an area where competition isn't possible often cost more with lower quality of service.

      • +1

        They would need to increase the costs of fares 5x just to break even, and we all know private corporations are only in it to break even…

  • -3

    Railway system run by the public circus ==> inefficient, costly, broken and prone to corruption and extortion on very regular basis.
    Does the minority have the right to be selfish and extort the majority?

    • Keen to know why you have a vested interest in its privatisation. Be honest.

    • +1

      the problem with private, even if it could be more efficient, is the people who own or invest into it need to make a profit (thats just capitalism, cant avoid it)

      they already have said train fares only cover 25% of the running costs, so sure privatise it but expect the fares to go up like 5x what they are now to allow a profit margin

  • +1

    salary sacrificing mortgages

    That's normally reserved for the health sector. ICBF researching if train drivers get this benefit but I highly doubt.

  • Shift work, split shifts, told from the start how it’s not “if” but “when” you hit someone who has decided to end their own life on the tracks in front and how to react to that kind of incident (for those interested - they’re taught to look away or close the blinds as they push the brakes)…

    Yeah I wouldn’t want that job myself.

    If you’re jealous about how much they earn, go and become a train driver.

    • sounds like your describing nurses there who are paid less than train drivers already

      • And I support all industrial action that nurses want to take, and genuinely believe they should be paid as much as train drivers.

        • +2

          more

          • @MrThing: You’re right. More. They deal with a lot and under shit conditions.

    • You seem to know a lot about psychology - How often do they run over people?

  • +5

    There was a piece about this on 7.30 tonight - Laura spoke to a station attendant who is earning $55kpa and finding it hard to make ends meet living in Sydney. When you think about it, $55k gross = $46787 net and even with a modest rent of $500pw that leaves $20000pa or $400pw to eat, pay bills, maybe run a car etc. There's no fat in that budget at all. I realise there are people earning much less but this isn't a game of comparisons and that doesn't make it okay. I hope she gets the raise she's looking for.

  • +1

    NSW is fkd… Worst salaries, highest cost of living, NSW government gives less benefits and bites more than every other state…

    Health workers in particular are completely disheartened, a lot of unfilled positions, which means that everyone else is overworking for a completely broken system.
    Managers are completely tone deaf and clueless, the daily answer is "we have no money". The system is completely dysfunctional.

    How can they expect people to continue to live with high inflation, increasing cost of living, when salaries have been frozen for years?

  • +1

    Anything union related, ain’t going to look good for Albo…

  • -2

    Do NSW transport workers get free travel? Do they get free study? what other perks do they get? I use to get almost free travel when I worked for QANTAS and study etc So I studied and got another job that I am content with both pay and conditions.
    Unfortunately the requirements for most of these public circus jobs is "just attend" and performance varies from …they still get paid the same, hence some slackers make more work for those that actually want to work..

    If they are not happy find another job, if not happy with the state move to another state…beggars can not be choosers is some cases

    If they behave and negotiate like selfish spoilt kids classsify them like extortionists and transport "terrorist"…that's what they are really doing hurting the people that originally supported them …but no more!! We all had enough…unless you are actually the instigator(s) or work for them…

    • I use to get almost free travel when I worked for QANTAS and study

      Ahh, so you had a taste of public money. Yet now you're out, you're whinging about it.

  • It has all happened before. I remember around 40 plus years ago there were several almighty stoushes between the then government of the day and railway union boss Bernie Willingale. No winners then either.

  • your thoughts…

    LOTS of government employees/management get far more money and certainly they do a lot less.
    Stress free, Responsibility free. Risk free.
    Work from home or in a comfortable, safe, secure, well provided office.
    With a comfy chair. Showers included, and perhaps a gym too.

    Yes this industrial action is justified.

  • In the end you are paid what you are really worth, some of these "professional vultures" can get away for some time by getting paid more than what
    they are really worth, but the general public will eventually wake up .
    Similar to relationships when they fool each other and fool themselves they end up in divorce courts, lawyers winning it all ;))
    Also they will upset "elvis" express….. “Mystery Train,” "In the Ghetto"

  • From what I gather is that train drivers and train guard jobs are:
    1. No requirement of (much) qualifications
    2. Anti social lifestyle
    3. It's crucial jobs for society to function
    Their skills can't really transfer to other jobs or there are other employers to move to. Well… so their only options is to strike to get pay rise. And train union always strikes (yes especially train union among other unions) where it hurts the most, they know that some commuters blame the government, some blame them. But the one who blame them eventually will blame the government because that the only thing they have power on, so on so on …

    I don't argue about whether or not they deserve what kind of pay they should get. But I think society overall is better off with these jobs are automated. Think about it: "repeated" tasks, anti social hours, critical … no one should have to do it.

  • Can't wait for driverless trains like they do in USA and China.
    The technology is already in place. Went to China recently for a work trip and they've got driverless buses in the city. Colour me impressed.

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