Sydney will be plunged into 24-hours of commuter chaos, with the city’s light rail system shutting down for a 24-hour strike on Wednesday.
The work stoppage comes as the Rail, Tram & Bus Union (RTBU) is attempting to secure workers a 23 per cent pay rise over four years, plus an additional five sick days, with negotiations coming to a standstill.
Commuters travelling on the L1 Dulwich Hill, L2 Randwick or L3 Kingsford light rail lines will need to seek alternate transport routes.
Visitors travelling into the CBD for the Vivid Festival will also be hit by the strike.
Transport for NSW Coordinator-General Howard Collins urged commuters to take note of the industrial action and plan accordingly.
“We recommend that on Wednesday, commuters avoid the peak times, use alternative transport options and plan your journey,” he said.
On Monday, RTBU members overwhelmingly voted to reject the deal, which RTBU ram and bus division secretary David Babineau said failed to address the workforce’s concerns.
“We can’t have light rail workers in a situation where they’re going to work unwell and putting commuters and others at risk because they don’t have enough sick days,” Mr Babineau said.
“Nor can we agree to a wage deal that doesn’t come close to accounting for the huge cost of living increases we’ve seen lately.”
Extra buses have been put in place to help students from Sydney Boys High School and Sydney Girls High School travel between Central station and their campus.
A 610 express services will operate approximately every 10 minutes between 8.05am and 8.45am, with a bus supervisor in place at Chalmers St to help direct students.
An additional limited shuttle bus service will also be available to help impacted students on the L1 Dulwich Hill Light Rail line, however Transport for NSW (TfNSW) has warned the buses will be limited, and there may be delays.