NSW Trains Share Pointless

Members be aware; on 20 June 2021, the RTBU Locomotive Division placed NSW Trains into a Step 2 dispute in accordance with Clause 8.4 of the 2018 Enterprise Agreement following NSW Trains failure to consult on alterations to workplace practices within the depots of:

• Wollongong,
• Mt Victoria, and; 
• Lithgow.

Again, without proper consultation with your union, NSW Trains advised it was summarily removing the traditional paper based posted period rosters and replacing them with small computer monitors as a ‘share-point’ stuck in the corner of the sign-on room.

Prior to lodging the dispute when the Locomotive Division became aware of their intentions, your Union was informed that information had been provided to local shift managers to disseminate to its employees, essentially dictating industrial changes to your sign on/off procedures.

This methodology of displaying the period roster failed to consider:

• Inability for crew to track changes made to the period roster in accordance with 3.6.3 (b) of the DRaWA (two alterations only to the original sign-on time).
• That drivers are not required to monitor a computer terminal during sign on/off.
• No requirement to access a mobile phone to ascertain any changes to your roster.
• Drivers having already signed off when changes to your roster are implemented (changes are applied to the roster on an ad-hoc basis) 
• Inadequate and/or any training provided to navigate a computer terminal.
• A back up system should the computer terminal fail.

As a result of lodging the Step 2 dispute in accordance with the DSP Clause; “the status quo before the emergence the dispute shall continue whilst the dispute settlement procedure is being followed.” This provision should be adhered to, in good faith, to avoid any escalation in proceedings.

Apparently, your rights contained within the EA are not good enough for NSW Trains as they have approached individual employees as a tactic to negate your rights and have published a feel-good narrative stating as much. The article can be found here.

The RTBU Locomotive Division does not agree with NSW Trains’ attempt to circumvent the consultative provisions of your Enterprise Agreement with your Elected Representatives to assist NSW Trains management to achieve any goal. This is particularly the case given NSW Trains’ track record in relation to the introduction of the NIF and the current EA offers of 0.3% and 2.5% on the table, respectively.

NSW Trains has been reminded of their obligations and that the dispute has not been resolved and remains in place irrespective of what propaganda they may want to put out.