NTA Book Dispute

Members at Mt Victoria and Lithgow depot were recently informed that they would have to utilise an NTA book as the only means for which they can claim their book off days in the future. This obviously breached Clause 3.7 of the Drivers Rostering and Working Arrangement and a dispute was subsequently lodged at Step 2 as multiple depots were affected. Management’s logic for attempting this action was attributed to a so called failing of the Op Crew system to allow NTA to attach to driver’s rosters and to align the NTA book process with other depots.

Firstly, the ability of Op Crew to allocate NTA to rosters is a widely known and accepted practice on every roster in existence today. Secondly, the NTA book process is not in place in all InterCity depots and where it is, it is only used for convenience and not mandated as the only means of claiming book off days. Management also provided the NTA book with rosters devised to implement this system despite there being a dispute in place with the status quo applied. Drivers at both depots are rightly refusing to use the NTA book until the matter is resolved.