NSW govt bids to block rail worker strike

The protected industrial action by workers is planned to begin on Monday and could affect rail services in Sydney and regional NSW through to March 7.

It comes amid a long-running dispute over safety provisions and conditions between the government and the Rail, Tram and Bus Union.

The industrial action could disturb customers and "cause economic harm to the NSW economy", said a statement from the NSW government on Friday.

Transport for NSW secretary Rob Sharp said he and his executives met with rail unions this week, and held more than 30 meetings with the unions over the past six months.

"Our number one focus is to ensure the travelling public can get where they are going safely and can rely on the public transport system at this critical time," he said.

Mr Sharp said the action was taking place at the same time NSW Premier Dominic Perrottet had announced an easing of restrictions across the state. 

"During our negotiations, we have made reasonable concessions and we continue to encourage the unions to come back to the bargaining table rather than take action, to work with us to make two new Enterprise Agreements that benefit not just our employees, but also our customers."

The transport union said on Wednesday the government should not have been taken by surprise by the action.

"We've given our transport officials plenty of notice of our actions and plenty of opportunities to deliver on our very basic asks," the union's NSW secretary Alex Claassens said on Wednesday.

"The ball is in their court."

He said it was not ideal to resort to industrial action but the union was successful and had forced Sydney Trains to put more services on tracks.

"Our dispute is with the government, not the public, and all our industrial actions are planned to impact transport management rather than commuters.

"It's disappointing that it's come to this again."

The RTBU has been contacted for comment regarding the application to halt their industrial action.