NSW Trains COVID-19 Taskforce Update No.2

Your Locomotive Division continues to attempt to engage NSW Trains in genuine and proactive discussions around issues faced by Members amid the COVID-19 pandemic.

Despite numerous requests, Senior NSW Trains Management has refused to engage directly with the Locomotive Division, choosing instead to get NSW Trains Industrial Relations to talk to the Division.

Their IR representative was mostly only able to take “on board” feedback and “relay concerns” to those with the power to make decisions.

We believe this decision has frustrated and stalled the process of implementing what we and members deem to be important safety measures in a timely manner, such as social distancing, improved cleaning standards and access to workplace hygiene products consistently across NSW Trains. As you have seen, things are changing rapidly and it is imperative we are able to discuss issues, propose solutions and implement things quickly.

As such, the Locomotive Division wrote formally to the Deputy Secretary for Regional and Outer Metropolitan area in TfNSW on 3 April 2020.

The correspondence called out The Locomotive Division’s concerns regarding NSW Trains’ failure to commit to addressing workplace issues and or proactively seeking to engage with your representative/s in light of the very serious threat of COVID-19.

In response to this correspondence, Senior NSW Trains Management has contacted the Union seeking to convene meeting/s next week to start to address the outstanding concerns of Members.

Tabled topics of discussion include the following:

• Special leave payment and its implementation
• Requests for ad-hoc leave
• The readily available supply of hand sanitiser and disinfectant wipes
• Implementation of social distancing in all work locations. Key areas include: Sign-on locations, meal rooms and standby locations, locker rooms and crew cabs
• Crew cab cleaning standards, both baseline and extraordinary COVID-19 specific, in both yards, maintenance centres and at terminal platforms.

Members will be advised of outcomes as they develop.

Members are reminded that nothing has changed in regards to your rights to enforce cab cleanliness and not using overcrowded meal and standby rooms taking into account “social distancing” and increased cleaning requirements.

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