Qantas posts loss of more than $1 billion; Sydney rail strike disruption; Daniel Ricciardo to leave McLaren F1 team; 29 COVID-19 deaths in NSW, 5790 new cases

Sydney’s rolling rail strikes could be a step closer to ending, with Rail Tram and Bus Union secretary Alex Claassens saying he believes the new deed between the union and the government is “doable”.

Claassens said the key was ensuring the required money would be spent to improve safety on trains without coming out of workers’ pockets.

“It’s always been about a safety argument for the Rail, Tram and Bus Union,” he said.

“Just wake up, go and talk to the members, you’ll hear it for yourself.”

Strike action is going ahead today, with union workers walking off the job from 10am-4pm.

But Claassens said services were running at about “80 per cent normal”.

He criticised the government’s late delivery of a new deed, followed by an immediate call to cancel today’s strike action, yesterday afternoon.

Claassens said 48 hours at least was needed to peruse the new document and present it to members, and also for a rail system to change its timetables.

The next strike action is set for Wednesday, with Claassens saying people would know if it was going ahead either on Friday or Monday.