NSW Trains Flexible Work Pilot Program

The RTBULD recently attended a meeting to discuss how NSW Trains could expand or improve how its employees could work more “flexibly”. Apparently this has come about following a NSW Government decision in 2016 to increase flexible working arrangements across the public sector by the end of 2019. A panel has been instituted to plan and implement pilot programs across the public sector with 26 pilots currently being established. NSW Trains is the first rail entity to hold discussions with employees regarding this program and nothing has been heard from Sydney Trains about doing similar. The meeting was attended by various employee areas of NSW Trains including train crew, station and office staff as well management representatives and discussions occurred regarding how flexibility could be instituted into the various areas.

The scope contained that all current applicable awards and agreements cannot be breached and all “flexible” work arrangements had to be cost neutral which imposed serious restrictions on how any of this could be applied in the NSW Trains , particularly in the train crew area of operation. For train crew there are at least 8 clauses of the EA that would require adherence not to mention the Drivers Rostering and Working arrangements and Stable Rostering Code. Coupled with a chronic driver shortage, it is unlikely that drivers will see anything from these feel good pilot workshops other than more of the same.