Posters turning heads - and winning hearts!

A picture tells a thousand words, but a poster can say even more.

RTBU Victoria Branch recently turned to Melbourne artist Nicky Minus to produce a series of posters as part of its long-running “NO WAY METRO!” campaign against the station cutbacks.

The campaign was launched after Metro Trains announced in April that all Passenger Service Leader positions would be abolished, along with a significant number of Station Master positions, leaving many workers devastated.

Campaign protests were held around the city, with members making their case and enlisting wider support, with “We are Essential Workers”, “No Job Cuts”, and “I am not OK” banners proudly on display.

In a win for RTBU members, Metro subsequently agreed at a Federal Court hearing to halt redeployments and redundancies until the dispute was resolved in the Fair Work Commission.

Posting on Instagram, Nicky Minus said the slogans and ideas for the posters were conceived by RTBU members.

“Members with the Rail Tram and Bus Union have been running a campaign since April to ensure workers are strong and united against ongoing attacks from management at Metro,” she wrote.

“Initially Metro tried to retrench 30 front-line station staff, but members banded together and organised actions at stations and outside the Fair Work Commission and succeeded in preventing this callous attack.

“Metro then sought to introduce new rosters without consulting members who were upset that there was no regard for their broader life commitments.”

Nicky said while Metro backed down, the situation continued to evolve and members were continuing to organise in preparation for any further attacks.

“I turned their ideas into these images which will be printed into posters and put up around stations to help draw more attention to the ongoing campaign and to celebrate the work of railway workers who have continued to keep our trains running throughout the entirety of the pandemic.”

Victorian Branch Secretary Luba Grigorovitch said the Branch commissioned the posters to reinforce the successes of the “NO WAY METRO!” campaign.

The RTBU provided Nicky with background on the campaign and suggesting key messages she could include.

“These messages came from rank-andfile RTBU members,” Luba said.

“They included that Metro had been greedy, putting profits before passenger experience and customer service, and that it would stop at nothing to look after shareholders rather than hard-working staff.

“And our members had been considered essential during the pandemic, but when Metro wanted them sacked they suddenly tried to argue they were not essential.”

Luba said the posters were part of a campaign that had produced formidable results for union members in pursuit of job security.

“In the face of brazen attacks from management that have tried every trick in the book, members have stood firm and virtually stopped Metro’s savage efforts in their tracks.”

One of Nicky's NO WAY METRO campaign posters