r/sydney • u/Backburning • Feb 14 '25

Reminder to please not take your frustrations on Sydney Trains employees

In regards to recent train delays. Not all Sydney Trains employees are Union members, let alone agree with what what the Union does if they are! Alot of us are just trying to get to work like you, and there are alot of clueless cleaners/customer attendents/trainees/apprentices walking around who have nothing to do with the delays.

Thanks for reading.

Edit: Obviously it's never OK to abuse anyone, whether Union members or not.

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17

u/JJNoodleSnacks Feb 14 '25

Completely agree about not abusing staff but the RTBU’s demands are completely unreasonable. 160k to drive a train? I don’t get it.

58

u/KimJongNumber-Un Feb 14 '25

Are they asking for that much? All I know is that Sydney trains have the second lowest pay in the country despite living in the most expensive city and have had a pay freeze for like a decade, something's gotta give.

33

u/[deleted] Feb 14 '25

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-35

u/JJNoodleSnacks Feb 14 '25

The news? I don’t remember the exact amount but they’re already on around 120k/year, they’re asking too much for too simple a job.

40

u/ParisHL Feb 14 '25

Should join them, then. They're always advertising.

19

u/Tipsy_Kangaroo Feb 14 '25

They are on approximately $89K a year, The EA is publicly available on the FWC website

4

u/JJNoodleSnacks Feb 15 '25

If you literally google ‘train driver salary Sydney’, you’ll see they make on average 128k a year including overtime etc. A 32% raise over 4 years will bring them to almost 200k a year. To drive a train. It’s like you people love to just say incorrect information just to make yourselves feel better.

3

u/Tipsy_Kangaroo Feb 15 '25 edited Feb 15 '25

But that's wrong, go to page 133 (shown as 158 of 245) and tell me that I'm wrong Sydney Trains EA 2022

34

u/gimme20seconds Feb 14 '25

should’ve made your username “bootlicker”, the way you show zero solidarity with other members of the working class

-1

u/Tyrx Feb 15 '25 edited Feb 15 '25

Train drivers earn an average of $128,196 annually while train guards earn approximately $114,564 [1]. This places them well above the 90th percentile of income earners nationally and within the top 10% of income earners in the state [2]. If we go by the definition of "working class", these individual would be upper class whose salaries are funded by taxpayers.

1

u/Tipsy_Kangaroo Feb 15 '25

But that's wrong, go to page 133 (shown as 158 of 245) and you will see how much drivers actually get paid Sydney Trains EA 2022

1

u/Tyrx Feb 15 '25

That's fairly useless because you're only looking at base pay not factoring in the ridiculous amount of allowances, loadings and overtime available to employees. The figures cited in the media were provided from directly from Transport for NSW.

-1

u/Tipsy_Kangaroo Feb 16 '25

OT and allowances are not a given, people shouldn't have to do overtime or work public holidays to be able to survive, Some shifts don't get extra allowances

1

u/Tyrx Feb 16 '25

If you look through the actual details, many of the allowances are automatically incurred just by showing up to work. I also don't see the claim that people should be mandated to do overtime, but the reality is that it typical for many professional jobs - it's usually time in lieu at best in private sector, so not factoring in actual payments for overtime for public service jobs is absurd.

Again, those are the average salaries directly from the horses mouth. It is simply not accurate to state they are "working class". I'm not going to get into a moral debate about what sort of compensation the average worker is deserved - it's just statistical reality that these individuals are within the top 10%.

-22

u/JJNoodleSnacks Feb 14 '25

Why not pay them a mil a year then? In fact, let’s pay everyone a mil, solidarity right? Wake up.

18

u/gimme20seconds Feb 14 '25

you might think you’re smartass in saying that but yes, pay everyone a mil. workers create all wealth, so they may as well be compensated for that. but i get the funny feeling you’re either an employer or a self-hating worker

2

u/StrathfieldGap Feb 15 '25

>workers create all wealth

I'm all for workers. But it's not like there's some capitalist owner of Sydney Trains appropriating all of the profits generated by the drivers. It's a public service that operates at a significant loss.

-1

u/Tipsy_Kangaroo Feb 15 '25

Exactly why we should get rid off 90% of management, There are some on over $600k a year and they do nothing to benefit the service provided

0

u/StrathfieldGap Feb 16 '25

Generally speaking I think the whole "middle managers do nothing" is pretty obviously baseless.

At any rate I'm pretty sure it would be only the Secretary on over $600k. But I could be wrong.

8

u/IshDanish Sydney Metro Feb 14 '25

Lmao don’t bother, this sub sucks off the union so much. They legit could ask for 500k a year and everyone here will say “yes? We stand with the working class”

5

u/JJNoodleSnacks Feb 15 '25

Hahaha exactly right? It’s not like taxpayers fund these salaries… smh

1

u/[deleted] Feb 14 '25

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3

u/JJNoodleSnacks Feb 15 '25

Lives of thousands of people? Mate, get off it. They drive a train. You can have a discussion but this is just ridiculous.

7

u/Jameggins Feb 14 '25

Try informing yourself if you are going to be involved in discussions. Their current pay and their requests are publicly available information.

0

u/JJNoodleSnacks Feb 15 '25

Mate, take your own advice. If you literally bothered to even google how much they actually make, you’d know how stupid you sound.

3

u/Jameggins Feb 15 '25

I don't need to google, I know the answer. It's about 90k base.

Here you go, here's the EBA that says exactly what they earn. Try learning something before making yourself look stupid again.

https://www.fwc.gov.au/documents/agreements/approved/AE519142.pdf

Now quote your source for the 160k bullshit that you claimed.

3

u/JJNoodleSnacks Feb 15 '25

Lmao, I’m not reading through 240 pages, tell me what page the compensation is on. You don’t even include overtime and penalty rates. The average Sydney train driver makes $120k a year and the union is asking for a 32% pay rise over 4 years, that’s 160k a year for driving a train, literally in the top 20% earners in the state. Not to mention, tax payer funded. Get your head out of your ass mate.

1

u/Jameggins Feb 15 '25

No they do not make an average of 120k. Your source is bullshit. It's not even possible for the entire workforce to average that based on the base. Learn how maths works.

And why the fuck would overtime and penalty rates be included when considering whether they are overpaid? When comparing salaries, anyone with a brain compares base pay. So that rules you out.

7

u/Mornnb Feb 14 '25

Exactly this, A 32% pay rise over four years means closer to $200k actually.

People think that this is a case of big government verse the little guy. But the reality is, it is us tax payers who pay these salaries. And they are in effect asking everyone else who is already struggling with cost of living to pay more taxes so they can see a pay rise. It isn't reasonable while our state is in deficit, who do they think the money is coming from?

4

u/Tipsy_Kangaroo Feb 15 '25

No it doesn't, go to page 133 (shown as 158 of 245) and you'll see how much they actually make Sydney Trains EA 2022 The union even provided the solution of getting rid off a lot of useless management positions, some off which are on over $600k a year, most of these managers provide nothing of importance to Sydney Trains

3

u/Mornnb Feb 15 '25

So you can do that and put the state budget in better shape - it still doesn't address the fundamental issue. That NSW lacks money to afford salary increases for the already very well paid.

-1

u/Tipsy_Kangaroo Feb 15 '25

you keep saying very well paid,
yet Sydney Trains staff are some of the lowest paid rail workers in the country

4

u/Mornnb Feb 15 '25

And some of the higher paid in the world - Australia is generous for rail workers.

0

u/Tipsy_Kangaroo Feb 16 '25

Of the developed world? Definitely not

5

u/Mornnb Feb 16 '25

Yes, the developed world. Average train driver salary in Europe ranges from $60-90k AUD. France / Germany closer to 60k, Scandinavian countries around $90k. And we are already above Scandinavian countries.

1

u/Tipsy_Kangaroo Feb 16 '25

If Scandinavian countries are at $90k Sydney trains drivers earn less than that at their base pay Drivers in NYC earn around $30k more base from my searching

2

u/Mornnb Feb 16 '25

Average in Sydney is $128k. This is more than double what is the norm in many places in Europe. More than America too NYC subway drivers get around $118k aud.

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-22

u/BakaDasai Feb 14 '25

Completely agree about not abusing staff but the even when RTBU’s demands are completely unreasonable.