But the NSW government said meeting those conditions would cost the state "millions".
The planned industrial action by the RTBU could have seriously disrupted public transport over the holiday period, even to the point of threatening Sydney's New Year's Eve fireworks celebration.
The Fair Work Commission is currently considering whether to permit the industrial action to go ahead.But now, the Rail, Tram and Bus Union has offered to put major strike action on hold until January 7, if the government meets two conditions. The first is to withdraw its submissions currently before the commission, while the second is to approve free public transport for passengers in New South Wales until the new enterprise agreement is reached.READ MORE:"We've always been committed to finding a way forward which would see minimal disruption on New Year's Eve and throughout the remainder of the festive season," union secretary Toby Warnes said.
"And if we did do it, the people of NSW know that it has to be paid for by them in another way," they said.The spokesperson said the government would keep "all legal auctions on the table" to avoid disrupting travel over the holidays. It's estimated that scrapping public transport fares across the state could cost $127 million a month.
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