A proposed new rail strike in Sydney could throw the plans of millions of people into chaos on New Year's Eve. The government is scrambling to scupper industrial action which could cripple the transport network on the busiest night of the year after union members voted to take fresh industrial action from next week.
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00:00New Year's Eve revelers in Sydney may face more than the usual headaches getting home
00:07this year.
00:08Commuters will likely see less trains on New Year's Eve.
00:11The union concedes that fewer than half the normal number of trains might run on a night
00:15when an extra thousand services are usually scheduled.
00:19We know that these bans do cause major disruption.
00:22It will make services more difficult to run, but it certainly won't throw the network into
00:28chaos.
00:29The union is planning to begin a range of industrial action from the 28th of December,
00:34including reductions in the speed trains will travel and how many kilometres rail crews
00:38will work each shift.
00:40Business groups say the uncertainty is a potential economic nightmare on a night when all eyes
00:45are focused on the harbour city.
00:47There is a real danger that we damage the brand that is Sydney if our public transport
00:52system isn't working the way it should.
00:54There are businesses at the moment in the CBD in Greater Sydney that are on a knife
00:58edge and the threat of strike action alone could be the straw that sends them into bankruptcy.
01:04The government says it will use all legal avenues to squash the latest planned action.
01:09Any level of industrial action during this time is not acceptable.
01:13As the stalemate over the union's demand for a 32% pay rise continues, both sides have
01:18accused the other of not negotiating in good faith.
01:21It has been complete radio silence.
01:23It's not a time to play chicken with the New South Wales economy.
01:27In the meantime, would-be revellers watch, waiting to see which side will blink first.