The New South Wales government will return to the Fair Work Commission today in a bid to stop further industrial train action by members of the Rail, Tram and Bus Union. The government is alleging the high number of train divers who called in sick on Friday was a "coordinated effort" to disrupt the rail network.
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00:00Even with a scaled-back weekend timetable, more than 450 services were delayed or had
00:08to be cancelled. 360 staff were either sick or failed to show.
00:13I just hope they get their things sorted out and then everyone can get back to normal because
00:19it's not just them that's affected, it's like everybody.
00:23Sydney trains and the rail, tram and bus union were back in the Fair Work Commission with
00:27the trains boss alleging foul play. Yesterday we saw what we would deem a record
00:32level of sick leave across the network. That's mainly drivers and guards.
00:38Sydney trains data shows the number of drivers and guards who called in sick was 28% above
00:43the average of the previous six Fridays. We're not satisfied that there was an uptick,
00:47I know that's their case. The union said the data gave no sense of the
00:51normal range of fluctuation. The tribunal heard Sydney trains had issued
00:55thousands of workers with a notice warning they wouldn't be paid for their shift if
00:59at any point they took part in industrial action. After the collapse of pay negotiations
01:04on Thursday night, a work ban known as a go slow was to begin yesterday.
01:09A union official told the tribunal some drivers were worried their pay would be docked even
01:14if they worked as normal. The barrister for Sydney trains acknowledged
01:18he couldn't point to any direct evidence that this was a coordinated campaign, but said
01:23that wasn't unusual in these cases. It's now up to the commission to decide whether
01:27the abnormally large number of absences was orchestrated or pure coincidence.
01:34The Fair Work Commission will deliver its decision tomorrow.