Christmas in July for El Zorro drivers

Drivers for freight operator El Zorro will finally start receiving the thousands of dollars in backpay negotiated between the company and the RTBU as part of the EBA signed earlier this year.

The payments are for 4% of salary from 1 December 2009 and 2.5% from 1 December 2010 to 1 June 2011 – covering base hours, excess hours and RDOs.

The first payment will arrive this week and be made over 9 fortnightly payments through to the end of October.

The EBA and backpay were negotiated with a view to bringing El Zorro drivers up to industry standards – especially in the area of pay – as freight rail booms.