Rail, Tram and Bus Union NSW Branch

25/05/2026

Imagine if governments actually cared about “productivity” as much as they talked about it.

Every day on our bus network, our services run 15 minutes (plus) late on a daily basis reducing workers time at work. 15 minutes of productivity lost per person, per day on our privatised bus network that the government could address tomorrow with a bit of political courage.


Daniel Mookhey MLC
John Graham
Jenny Aitchison MP
Sonia Hornery MP
Tim Crakanthorp MP
Yasmin Catley MP

22/05/2026

The absolute right decision made by the Federal Government against a short sighted local council, Byron Shire Council’s proposal to rip up critical rail infrastructure when alternatives are readily available. These decisions should not be in the hands of local councils, they are of statewide/nationwide importance.

Jenny Aitchison MP

The Federal Government this week notified Byron Shire Council that its grant application for the design and construction of the Mullumbimby to Crabbes Creek section of the Northern Rivers Rail Trail was unsuccessful. The application for $42 million was submitted in 2024 in partnership with the Lismo...

05/05/2026

This is a step forward for all Australians.

As house prices rise, more people are being pushed further out, but access to jobs, education, and services shouldn’t depend on your postcode. Restoring this line is about fairness and making sure communities aren’t left behind.

The RTBU will move a motion at the state Labor Party conference in July calling on the government to commit to restoring and opening the rail line between Maitland and Cessnock to accommodate the significant growth expected in the area in coming years. The motion is expected to attract wide support on the conference floor. RTBU NSW Secretary Toby Warnes said investing in rail would help build stronger communities and drive economic growth.

This didn’t happen by chance. RTBU members have been pushing for this, and we’ll keep pushing at conference and beyond until it’s delivered.

01/05/2026

Happy May Day!

A celebration of what workers have won together, and the strength that comes from standing side by side. Every right we have exists because union members fought for it, and it stays strong when we stand together and defend it.

Today we celebrate that power.

Proud to be union.

01/05/2026

May Day 2026 is on this weekend in Newcastle!

From 9.30am, RTBU members will be marching alongside workers from across the Hunter, then heading straight into a day at the foreshore with rides, food and plenty to keep the kids busy.

See you there!

28/04/2026

April 28 marks International Workers’ Memorial Day.

Across our rail, tram and bus networks, we pause to remember those who have lost their lives at work, and stand with the families, friends and colleagues they left behind.

For transport workers, safety is not a slogan, it is part of every shift. It’s the condition of the public transport we operate, the infrastructure we rely on, and the systems designed to protect both workers and passengers. It’s about clear procedures, proper training, and the confidence to speak up when something isn’t right.

Working in transport means managing risks every day, from fatigue and long hours to the pressures of keeping services running safely and on time. These challenges make strong safety standards and a culture of accountability essential.

Every improvement in safety has come from workers standing together and insisting on better. Safer systems, proper staffing, realistic schedules, and a workplace where concerns are taken seriously.

We look out for one another, because everyone deserves to get home safely.

Remember the dead. Fight for the living.

25/04/2026

On ANZAC Day, we recognise the service and sacrifice of those who came before us, and the values they stood for, courage, mateship, and standing up for each other.

Those values are not abstract. You see them every day across the network, in workers looking out for each other, backing each other up, and getting the job done safely.

While many are spending the long weekend with family, RTBU members are still on the job, keeping services running and communities moving.

That work matters.

To every member working this weekend, thank you.

19/04/2026

When the previous NSW Liberal Government privatised buses in Newcastle and Sydney they promised a world class bus service. Now, they are calling on the world to get any service they can.

Attempting to recruit bus drivers from New Zealand is a band-aid solution to a structural problem the NSW Government itself created it when it privatised Sydney’s bus network.

There’s only one fix to this problem: put buses back in public hands and the drivers will come.

18/04/2026

Momentum is building. Workers are done waiting. The NSW Government can’t ignore communities any longer.

15/04/2026

Aurizon didn’t just refuse to move at the bargaining table.

They crossed a line. Contacting workers’ next of kin and threatening to involve emergency services, all while members were taking protected industrial action. Let’s be clear, workers have a legal right to strike. Using families and already stretched emergency services to pressure people out of exercising that right is not “duty of care”.

It’s intimidation.

That’s why the RTBU is taking this to the IRC. Members deserve respect, not tactics designed to scare them into backing down.