Australia slashes public service jobs to cover train drivers' pay
Transport Secretary Josh Murray said the cuts were part of a wider move to 'restructure the chain of command' in an email to staff on Wednesday. Mr Murray said he understood the cuts would be 'concerning' to some.
'We have to get back to a model that is sustainable for the long term, delivers on our commitments, and provides appropriate career paths for our people,' he wrote. 'That also means reducing duplication, removing unclear reporting lines, and ensuring all our people are clear on what's expected of them. Change of this scale is never easy, and it affects all our people, their work, their teams, and their sense of certainty about the future.'
Opposition Transport spokeswoman Natalie Ward (pictured right) said the cuts were required due to cost blowout caused by the latest wage deal with the Rail, Tram and Bus Union (RTBU). 'These are the brutal cuts that pay for the union wage deals. The people being sacked are not senior bureaucrats - they're the engine room of the department, and their mistake was not joining the RTBU,' she said in a statement. 'These decisions send a clear message: under Labor, it's union first, commuters second.'
Office staff will be affected in the latest round of cuts, with no frontline roles at risk. Unions were briefed about the cuts on Wednesday morning. Over the past five years, Transport for NSW has hired an additional 3,000 workers. The latest round of cuts comes after rail workers agreed to a new pay deal with the NSW government following months of industrial action.
The Electrical Trades and the Rail, Tram and Bus unions initially sought a 32 per cent pay rise over four years, and a 35-hour working week. Their negotiations with the NSW government stalled in January, sparking a mass strike which brought the Sydney rail network to its knees after 2,500 rail services were cancelled or significantly impacted over a two day-period. More than 90 per cent of RTBU members voted to accept a 12 per cent wage increase over three years plus back pay on July 5.
The deal will now progress to the Fair Work Commission for final approval. The RTBU also welcomed the move after a 'tough process'. 'It's fantastic that this long, and often bitter, dispute can finally be put behind us and that workers can get back to doing what they do best – moving commuters safely around the state,' union secretary Toby Warnes said at the time.
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
The Sun
20 minutes ago
- The Sun
Satander cuts more than 2,000 UK jobs — with more potentially on the way
SANTANDER has cut more than 2,000 UK jobs as part of major restructuring — with more redundancies potentially on the way. Boss Mike Regnier said the cuts are part of a push to simplify operations and invest in tech, as more customers move to online banking. Last October, the bank, which has used TV's Ant and Dec in its ads, had announced its intention to cut more than 1,400 jobs. It then warned a further 750 were at risk after revealing in March it was closing 95 branches and reducing hours at 50 sites. Its Spanish parent firm recently struck a £2.65billion deal to acquire rival TSB, raising speculation about further job losses and branch closures. Mr Regnier said no decisions have been made as the deal is not yet finalised, but it is expected to be complete by early next year. The bank reported a five per cent drop in pre-tax profits to £764million for the first half of 2025. Meanwhile, HSBC revealed a 26 per cent drop in pre-tax profits for the same period. It blamed the fall on trade tensions and a £1.6billion hit from its Chinese investments, as well as selling off its operations in both Canada and Argentina. HSBC has saved £524million as part of its cost- cutting plan, targeting £1.1billion annually by 2027. Boss Georges Elhedery said the bank has started reviews of its retail banking businesses in Australia, Indonesia and Sri Lanka. 2 HMRC REFUNDS MORE than 500,000 people have claimed refunds for overpaid tax on pension withdrawals since Pension Freedoms began in 2015, HMRC figures show. Almost £1.5billion has been returned to those overcharged after being given an 'emergency tax code' when cashing in lump sums. As retirees must fill out forms to get refunds sooner, critics say the process prioritises HMRC convenience over those affected. BEER SAMPLES PUB giant Greene King is offering samples of a new beer in three-inch glasses so punters can try before they buy. Drinkers can request a taster of the brewer's Hazy Day Fruity IPA to decide if it's for them before paying out for a full pint. It comes after a poll found that 70 per cent of pubgoers do not ask to taste an beer before paying — with nearly a third of adults under 28 too nervous to ask. SAINSBURY'S BANK SALE SAINSBURY'S has taken another major step in winding down its banking arm — selling its car and home insurance business to Allianz and its travel money operations to Fexco Group. It follows last year's sale of loans, mortgages and savings to Natwest, as Sainsbury's shifts focus to its groceries. Thousands of insurance customers on auto-renew policies will be transferred to Allianz from November and travel money kiosks will stay open under Fexco. Pet and life insurance are Sainsbury's only products left but are set to be sold.
Daily Mail
an hour ago
- Daily Mail
Australia's first rocket launch crashes shortly after takeoff
An Australian-made rocket has been launched from home soil for the first time, only to crash moments later. The 14-second maiden flight in Bowen, north Queensland , was hailed a 'major step' toward Australia joining a potentially lucrative global space industry. To mark the milestone, a jar of Vegemite was the only occupant of the 23-metre, 35-tonne Eris rocket. Spectators at the coastal town of Bowen near Townsville gathered while thousands around the world watched via YouTube channel Aussienaut when it launched about 8.30am. The rocket took off with plumes of smoke erupting from underneath before hovering in the air briefly and then crashing into the ground nearby. There were no injuries or environmental impacts, the Gold Coast-based company said. 'Off the pad, I am happy,' CEO Adam Gilmour posted on LinkedIn. 'Of course, I would have liked more flight time, but happy with this.' He later posted on Facebook: 'For a maiden test flight, especially after an extended 18-month wait on the pad for final approvals, this is a strong result and a major step forward for Australia's sovereign space capability.' The flight was brief but was still set to provide vital data. 'Space is hard. SpaceX, Rocket Lab and others needed multiple test flights to reach orbit,' Mr Gilmour said in a statement. 'We've learned a tremendous amount that will go directly into improving our next vehicle, which is already in production. 'This was the first real test of our rocket systems, our propulsion technology, and our spaceport - and it proved that much of what we've built works.' Gilmour Space Technologies is looking to design and manufacture rockets to carry satellites into space, using new hybrid propulsion technology. If successful, the company's rockets are set to carry small satellites to orbit for business and government in a low cost service - one that is in growing demand globally. 'Satellites and communication are worth billions and billions in the global space economy,' Swinburne University of Technology's Rebecca Allen told AAP. 'And it would mean huge benefits for the Australian economy and jobs if the rockets are to be manufactured here. 'In terms of a developed nation we are considered pretty far behind where we should be - this is definitely bringing us up closer to where we should be.' The launch had been delayed for months because of weather conditions and technical issues. It was set to take off on Tuesday afternoon and was 10 minutes out from launching, only to be halted because of high winds. Australia's attempt to enter the space race didn't last long but Dr Allen agreed it was a success. 'The launch is a major milestone for the space industry here. It's huge,' she said. 'Once this rocket is more reliable and fully able to undertake launches to lower orbit, it means we are not relying on another country to access space.' Gilmour Space Technologies was recently awarded a $5 million grant from the federal government to assist with the launch after receiving $52 million in Commonwealth funding to lead a space manufacturing network in Australia. 'Only six nations launch to orbit regularly and just a handful are working to join them - today brings Australia closer to that club,' Mr Gilmour said.
The Guardian
an hour ago
- The Guardian
Morning Mail: Adani's ‘sustainable' coal claim denounced, NSW religious school boom, tsunami fears subside
Morning everyone. Scientists have denounced a claim by Adani that its exports of coal from Australia are helping advance sustainable development. In other news, Anthony Albanese is fighting off pressure from his backbenchers to take a tougher line on Israel, religious schools in New South Wales are growing fast, tsunami warnings have been downgraded in large parts of the Pacific, and the 10 Australian poetry collections you can't miss. Class divide | Enrolments in religious schools have increased by a record 30% in NSW in the past decade, new data shows – and not necessarily correlating with student beliefs. Independent schools in general have enrolled almost two-thirds of the state's additional students since 2000. Rates hope | Yesterday's low inflation figures have raised hope for an interest rates cut – indeed they show a cut is overdue, our regular columnist Greg Jericho points out. But slow growth is not all good news, our economics editor writes. 'Wilful disinformation' | An Adani claim that its Australian export program, whereby coal is sent through the Great Barrier Reef's shipping channels, is advancing the United Nations' sustainable development goals has been denounced by leading scientists. Car claims | Car companies continue to sell vehicles that use much more petrol and emit more toxic fumes than advertised, despite repeated investigations identifying discrepancies in marketing, an AAA report claims. Mushroom order | A court order has been placed on Erin Patterson's house preventing it from being sold in case compensation claims are made against her for killing three members of her family with a deadly mushroom lunch. Tsunami downgrade | A major tsunami is not expected to strike Hawaii after the first waves hit the islands after a powerful magnitude-8.8 earthquake struck off Russia's eastern coast, one of the strongest ever recorded. However, authorities ordered evacuations on Ecuador and Chile's Pacific islands. Follow developments live. Exclusive | A former CIA officer who helped lead the intelligence assessments over alleged Russia interference in the 2016 presidential election has said Tulsi Gabbard, the director of national intelligence, is ignorant of the practices of espionage after she accused Barack Obama and his national security team of 'treasonous conspiracy' against Donald Trump. Migration boom | The population of England and Wales has grown by 700,000 – the second-largest annual increase in more than 75 years – largely due to international migration. 'Moral failure' | A British-Israeli woman who was held hostage by Hamas for more than 15 months has accused Keir Starmer of 'moral failure' after he set the UK on course to recognise a Palestinian state. It comes as aid workers in Gaza said Israel's new measures to improve the humanitarian situation fall short of what is needed. Climber dies | Laura Dahlmeier, a German double Olympic biathlon champion, has died days after she was seriously injured by a rockfall while climbing in the Karakoram in Pakistan. Why do we age in dramatic bursts, and what can we do about it? Ian Sample hears from Prof Michael Snyder about his study of ageing and how it might be a series of episodes rather than a linear process. Sorry your browser does not support audio - but you can download here and listen $ Two decades ago, a historian warned Brisbane would become the first 200km city as it sprawled from Noosa to the NSW border. As the state government eschews putting more townhouses and apartments in existing city areas, Andrew Messenger reports on how the dire warning looks like coming true. Australian poetry is having a moment and to mark Australian Poetry Month the artistic directors of Red Room Poetry share a list of unmissable titles. From Ali Cobby Eckermann to Luke Davies, and from Nam Le to Judith Wright, there's something for seasoned readers and newcomers alike. Sign up to Morning Mail Our Australian morning briefing breaks down the key stories of the day, telling you what's happening and why it matters after newsletter promotion Swimming | Mollie O'Callaghan carried on where she left off in the Olympics by winning the 200m freestyle at the world championships in Singapore on a night of mixed fortunes for Australia's team. Cricket | Ben Stokes has been ruled out of the final Test match of England's series against India starting at the Oval later today with a grade-three muscle tear in his shoulder. The Age reports that Victoria has kept its AA credit rating despite the budget blowout from the suburban rail loop project. Weather experts think they might have found a new weapon to tackle the threat of another algal bloom in South Australia, the Advertiser reports. A prominent Gold Coast developer has died suddenly aged 39 while exercising at a gym, the Bulletin reports. Courts | Judgment expected at the federal court in X's case against the eSafety commissioner. Economy | RBA deputy governor Andrew House speaks at the Barrenjoey Economic Forum in Sydney at 9.20am. Art | Archibald Prize people's choice winner announced at 11am. If you would like to receive this Morning Mail update to your email inbox every weekday, sign up here, or finish your day with our Afternoon Update newsletter. You can follow the latest in US politics by signing up for This Week in Trumpland. And finally, here are the Guardian's crosswords to keep you entertained throughout the day. Until tomorrow. Quick crossword Cryptic crossword
