NSW and Sydney Trains Agree to Bargain

Sydney Trains: Driver Trainer Temporary Positions EOI Talent Pool – Notice of Dispute Resolution

Members may have seen these positions advertised in February 2021. Sydney Trains put these positions out to employees without consultation with the RTBU Locomotive Division or consideration of possible impacts to working arrangements or conditions of employment. Most concerning was Sydney Trains’ initial view that successful applicants would be temporarily “act in a higher grade” and would receive the Driver Trainer rate of pay as an allowance only. Whilst the Locomotive Division supported the intent of the EOI, the matter was placed into dispute until consultation occurred and a fair and reasonable process was established that was consistent with previous Recruitment/Expressions of Interests and met driver’s conditions of employment. Several consultative meetings occurred, and a suitable outcome was achieved to protect the interests of members. A changed process will now take place to fill the positions. The major achievements for the members are as follows. 1. Payment for the role in all circumstances 2. Positions will fill current shortfalls in current depots only (no transferring depots under this

EOI) 3. Stopping the “Higher Duties” concept and adhering to the normal EOI process Sydney Trains have communicated details of the changes and outlined how the process will be worked through. If members need further information, please contact Head Office or Delegates. The RTBU wishes the applicants good luck and appreciates the efforts of the delegates involved in this issue.

NSW Trains agrees to bargain – Sydney Trains to follow!

RTBU members everywhere voted in a Majority Support Determination after both Sydney and NSW Trains refused to start the bargaining process. Thousands of members signed the Majority Support Determination, effectively forcing the NSW and Sydney Trains to agree to bargain, but this, of course, came with conditions, with NSW and Sydney Trains attempting to force members to bargain separately, at different times and in different locations. This is a trick pulled straight from the Union busting handbook, a trick which members did not fall for. The first item in the log of claims, drawn from thousands of responses from members, was that NSW and Sydney Trains should bargain together for one agreement. The scope or who the agreement covered is a threshold issue that, until resolved, makes it very difficult to bargain in a meaningful way. NSW and Sydney Trains members work hand in hand to keep NSW moving, and it makes perfect sense for your conditions to be enshrined in one Enterprise Agreement. The Combined Rail Union put this position to NSW and Sydney Trains in writing, a position which they rejected- we then invited representatives from NSW and Sydney Trains to attend a meeting of the Combined Rail Union to discuss the claim, an invitation which they refused. Instead, they ploughed ahead, booking separate meetings, RTBU representatives attended these meetings in good faith and once again attempted to raise our firm position that one Enterprise Agreement should cover NSW and Sydney Train employees. Management continued to try and avoid this conversation, Accordingly, with the endorsement of the EA Delegates Team, the RTBU has launched an application for a Protected Action Ballot, which, if successful, will allow members to vote to take action and send a clear message to management that we will insist on bargaining together., P.S You can keep up to date on our campaign at www.ourightsourfight.com.au