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Sydney commuters will receive a week of free rail travel after Premier Dominic Perrottet moved to stop further industrial action on the state's network.
- The rail union was planning to operate a weekend timetable on Monday and Friday
- The government and the union have been at odds over pay, conditions and the safety of a new rail fleet
- The union's boss says they're prepared to negotiate a resolution with the government
The Rail, Tram and Bus Union (RTBU) were invited to an urgent meeting with Mr Perrottet on Thursday in a last-ditch attempt by the state government to stop planned disruption next week.
RTBU secretary Alex Claassens had threatened that trains would run on a weekend timetable on Monday and Friday unless the government met one of the union's two demands.
It included giving customers fare free travel, which the premier has now committed to doing for the entire week.
"This has gone on for way too long. Providing free travel for the week will ensure that industrial action does not occur," Mr Perrottet said.
"We're going into mediation on Tuesday, and I want those matters resolved.
"I want there to be a resolution within a week and let's get it done."
On Tuesday, the NSW government will enter into negotiations with the RTBU seeking to agree on terms to start managed arbitration at the Fair Work Commission.
The union and the state government have been locked in a bitter long-running dispute over safety issues concerning the New Intercity Fleet (NIF).
The RTBU also wants better pay and conditions for staff, but the stoush has left commuters impacted for more than 18 months.
Threats from the premier to tear up the government's offer were repeated on Friday.
"If there is any industrial action on the network, we are not modifying the NIF. But following the constructive discussions that we've had yesterday we're hoping for a resolution," Mr Perrottet said.
A resolution has been promised before, but the RTBU is confident the premier's intervention will lead to a result.
"It's been a long hard slog, we're all over it … we want a resolution to this and we're prepared to sit down," Mr Claassens said.
"We are grateful that he actually made the time yesterday and we just hope that he can go and wave his magic wand and resolve the issue for us."
Yesterday, Federal Minister for Workplace Relations Tony Burke lashed out at the state Coalition government, accusing ministers of playing "political games".
It came after the NSW Minister for Finance Damien Tudehope urged the federal government to intervene in the dispute.
Mr Burke has refused to step in suggesting the government is either "naïve or deliberately misleading".
The RTBU has been taking ongoing protected industrial action, with the state government twice failing to stop it.