While NSW Premier Dominic Perrottet last week indicated the government was open to making some concessions to end the industrial stand-off,union leaders said that negotiations stalled on Tuesday night.
Unions NSW assistant general secretary Thomas Costa said they were surprised by the government when its representatives revealed a plan to modify the trains would not go to the state’s powerful expenditure review committee before this month’s state budget.
“We are blindsided. We thought we were having good,productive discussions that would resolve the[New Intercity Fleet] within the week,” Costa said.
“It’s fair to say that what we thought there was goodwill from the government trying to work with us to fix the NIF - that goodwill has been withdrawn… We could be here for another six months.”
The latest move from the government over the future of the NIF threatens to derail a months-long negotiating process central to its enterprise bargaining agreement with the rail union.
It comes as the Perrottet government deals with industrial action across much of the public sector,with workers voicing their outrage at the state’s recent offer of a 3 per cent wages increase amid rising inflation.