Especially when those workers include nurses and teachers who are responsible for caring for our health and our children’s education.
These two professions have been campaigning for a pay rise for months – but the rail union has raised the stakes in what has become a more militant and protracted battle that has repeatedly disrupted the train network and commuters.
A new poll conducted for the Herald and published today shows that – but a higher proportion,33 per cent,are pointing the finger at the state government for mishandling the conflict.
This should serve as a warning to the Perrottet government that it cannot bank on public support when it comes to stone-walling public servants in their fight for a pay rise,particularly when inflation and the cost of living are so far outstripping wage growth.
Commuters have faced long delays and big gaps between services during the NSW train dispute.Louise Kennerley
The poll suggests that unions are also on notice. The public has had enough of disrupted services. The Rail,Tram and Bus Union’s industrial action has resulted in the cancellation of train services as part of its campaign for higher wages and changes to the intercity fleet.
The research,conducted for theHeraldby Resolve Strategic,shows 31 per cent of voters have been affected by strikes,with the worst impact felt in metropolitan areas. However,69 per cent of people surveyed said they had not been affected at all.
Resolve director Jim Reed said that while the government and unions may believe picking a fight on industrial relations wins them points with their supporters,they should be mindful that voters will be more discerning,with greater concerns about getting to work on time and their children off to school.
The poll shows voters blame both sides for the ongoing strikes. As Reed observes,“it’s a pox on both houses”.
In a dramatic escalation of the dispute at the end of August,Premier Dominic Perrottet declared war on the rail unions by threatening to drag them before the courts and tear up a multibillion-dollar safety commitment in a high stakes move.
He has also accused the unions of using commuters as “political pawns” in their dispute. But the Resolve research suggests the government’s attempts to link NSW Labor to the industrial action through its association with unions is having little impact in changing voters’ minds.
NSW Labor leader Chris Minns has been cautious not to appear too pro-union,making it clear that. Minns has historically put some union officials offside,including in to parliament,when he spoke about a need to rein in their power on the floor of the Labor Party conference.
Of the quarter of people polled who blame unions for industrial action,there are those who would probably never support a union in any circumstance and always back the Premier’s views. But a significant proportion of voters appear to accept strike action as a last resort for workers with a reasonable demand for fairer pay. Outside the construction industry,union militancy has declined dramatically in recent decades.
Either way,despite where people’s sympathies lie,it seems clear that the goodwill and patience of voters are being tested when it comes to the inconvenience of repeated disruptions to their commute. After many months of continued threats of further industrial action and the government’s anti-union bluster,the protracted train dispute remains unresolved.
This warring is not good for anyone,including the Coalition government,which is banking on public support on this issue in the run-up to the state election next year. The poll result may also signal a shift in favour of a future state Labor government. A war on wages and cost-of-living pressures may tilt more voters towards Labor.
The pressure on living costs and the inconvenience that ongoing industrial action is causing for commuters demands a greater willingness by the government and unions to compromise. Voters will not tolerate being pawns in either side’s game.
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