The government probably wouldn't have if both rail lines weren't shut down simultaneously.
The Teamsters should take a page from the way the UAW/CAW handles the Big Three; focus negotiations on one, then tell the other "here's the template".
Keeping the rail lines running is too critical for the government to allow a protracted lockout/strike, but a (non-conservative) government would likely allow far more leeway if only one of the railways are shut at one time.
Oh it's sooo critical, but not enough for the state to slap capital instead of labor. God forbid the government pressure the fuckers with all of the money. No - surely the answer is always always always to lean on the people doing the actual work.
Unfortunately the Australian government is busting the CFMEU.
They're trying to set a very dangerous precedent
Has anyone burned some sage around the PM to drive away Thatchers and Reagans ghosts?
'You're not allowed to not come to work' is slavery.