PN Intermodal Outsourced Projects Enterprise Agreement Update: Pacific National Will Not Meet

This week, the RTBU made numerous attempts to get Pacific National back to the negotiation table to discuss the outstanding issue of remuneration, with the hope that this would of occur this Friday.

We also requested a decision maker from Pacific National be present, to have a resolution/offer to take back to the rank and file for endorsement. Unfortunately, the only way Pacific National would meet with your delegates and the RTBU, is to remove your right to take Protected Industrial Action. Pacific National wanted you to cancel seven 24-hour strikes that the RTBU notified of on 7 December 2020.

In good faith and with your endorsement, the RTBU offered to cancel the 24-hour strikes scheduled for 16December 2020 and 25 December 2020. However, Pacific National outright refused the offer and will not meet with us.

While this is very disappointing response from Pacific National, we have now lodged an application with the Fair Work Commission, seeking its assistance to bring Pacific National back to the negotiation table. While we wait for this to occur, all 24-hour strikes will continue as planned. The first 24-hour strike is scheduled for this Tuesday, 15 December 2020.

As you are aware, the Federal Court made orders in relation to the dumping of hot metal for any 24-hour work stoppages. We have given Pacific National an undertaking to act in accordance with the Court’s orders for any 24-work stoppages. What does this mean? This means where Pacific National has formed the opinion, in good faith and on reasonable grounds, that circumstances have arisen that will mean there will be the dumping of hot metal, they may “call out” a suitable qualified employee so as to avoid the dumping of hot metal. So, in theory, there must be the storage of hot slabs on the ground at the caster for a period of up to 8hrs along with the use of the excess torpedo ladles fort storage before hot metal will be dumped.

Your RTBU EA Negotiation team consists of RTBU delegates Paul Bentley, Jason McPhee and David Rowley and NSW Locomotive Division Organiser Kevin Pryor and NSW RTBU Branch Organiser Craig Turner.

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