Railroaded: the drastic actions to redefine victory in the Sydney train dispute

But now, the fight has taken on a new dimension.

This week Perrottet pressed the nuclear button, threatening to seek to tear up the enterprise agreement covering rail workers. He also promised to scrap a commitment to modify the multibillion-dollar intercity train fleet unless the union ceased all industrial action and agreed to vote for what he said would be a final offer on pay and conditions.

It was a stunning intervention, with risks for both sides.

For the union, a successful termination could see its 13,000 members lose hard-won conditions, as well as changes to the intercity fleet that it insists are necessary for safety.

For the government, a loss at the commission would mark yet another embarrassing defeat, this time after a potentially long court fight, just months from the March state election.

While the government has focused on industrial strife, the decision to terminate would rest on whether the enterprise agreement is fit for purpose.

Shae McCrystal, a professor of labour law at the University of Sydney, said since that decision the commission has often sided with employers.

Instead, the union launched its own case seeking to force both parties back to the bargaining table as well as attempting to gag Perrottet and his ministers from commenting on the negotiations for 14 days.

The question now is what a win looks like. With commuters fed up by the disruptions, Claassens and his workers find themselves increasingly on the losing side of a public relations war.

For that reason, even if they lose in court, they may feel that they will win in the eyes of voters who just want a resolution.

On Friday, Claassens insisted he was not interested in the PR war. The fight, he has been at pains to say, has been over safety.