Carr forced to back down
The architect of this week's fare-free day on NSW trains is throwing her weight behind workers. On the eve of the state government's capitulation to people power, Carlingford legal secretary, Rebecca Turner, "thanked God" for the trade union movement. "Unions are there to protect workers and if management and the government are not going to stick up for us then thank God the union movement is", Ms Turner said. She was speaking after winning enthusiastic support from 500 building workers for her civil disobedience campaign that would have seen commuters refuse to pay fares last Monday. Turner's comments pulled the final plank from the state government's strategy of trying to blame rail workers for the system's chronic unreliability. Premier Bob Carr tried to trump her campaign by announcing fares would be abolished for the day. NSW rail workers had taken to platforms across Sydney, Wollongong and the Central Coast to hand out 50,000 fliers explaining they were not to blame for the city's train woes. Some commuters stopped to help the workers hand out the leaflets, which blamed RailCorp management for poor train services. "If you think it's bad being a rail commuter, try being a rail worker — we are all in this together", the fliers read. Transport Minister Michael Costa had threatened to fine commuters who failed to buy tickets on the day of action. Before the government's announcement over 20,000 unionists from the Construction, Forestry, Mining and Energy Union and the Finance Sector Union had pledged their support for the Turner action, with the offer of legal advice to members if they were fined. Ms Turner began her campaign on November 11 and was dubbed "Captain Commuter" by Sydney media. "What are they going to do if thousands of people turn up at Town Hall and demand to be let out? They can't fine everyone", she said. "Imagine what we as commuters can do if we threaten to cost the Government millions of dollars in lost revenue." The campaign has an e-mail account — angrycommuter@hotmail.com- - gather support for the cause. Other angry commuters have begun a protest website at http://www.shityrail.info