LocoTV – 5 April

In this edition of LocoTV, get an election wrap up, hear about the urgent meeting the Loco Division is seeking with NSW Trains about the XPT plans and get the latest on the member survey results.1. The State Election has been and gone, and we’ve been left with a Baird Liberal Government for another term.

The Baird Government’s approach to transport and transport workers has been terrible. If the past four years are anything to go by, we can expect privatisation, driverless trains and more attacks on jobs over the coming years.

We’ll have more fights on our hands and we’ll have to remain vigilant. Together, the Loco Division will continue to fight for the rights and safety of train crew in this state.

Transport was clearly a significant issue in the election, with the Hunter region voting strongly against the Liberal Government – no doubt partly in response to the Baird Government’s unpopular decision to rip up the Newcastle rail line.

Overall there was a very big swing towards the ALP, and the Greens also picked up some key National seats in Ballina and Lismore.

Remember, if you’d like to get more involved in union activities, you can contact the Loco Division office at any time.

The Loco Division is seeking an urgent meeting with NSW Trains to discuss the Coalition’s election commitment to upgrade and purchase new rolling stock to replace the current XPT stock.

The newly re-elected government also said it would look to relocate maintenance facilities.

The announcements would obviously have a huge impact on Loco Division members, particularly around changes to the working environment, depot structures, rolling stock standards and changes to maintenance requirements.

There has been no specific detail at all given about the proposal, so the Loco Division is moving quickly to ensure any changes are made in consultation with members.

The results of the RTBU NSW member survey are now in. Thanks to everyone who took the time to complete the survey – it’s provided us with invaluable information that will help shape the union’s focus going forward.

Some of the results we received were absolutely shocking, including that 44% of all transport workers have been assaulted by a member of the public while at work. That rises to 80% for guards which highlights the impact cutting transit officers has had and the desperate need for increased security on our networks.

Another concerning statistic is that 1 in 3 workers think they’re likely to lose their job over the next two years – showing the Baird Government’s attack on transport jobs has had a big impact on workers.

What should concern the government is that almost 60% of workers say they have no confidence in management, 40% believe customer service has got worse over the past four years, and 50% believe the quality of public transport in NSW has got worse.

You can see a full overview of the survey results on the Loco Express website

And finally, we’ve got some new and exciting plans for LocoTV, which will kick off next month.

We know you love watching the Loco Division updates, but we think you’ll like our new and improved format even more, so stay tuned for that.

If you have any suggestions or ideas on what you’d like to see more of on LocoExpress, please email it through to the Loco Division office.