PN Intermodal Outsourced EA Update – Protected Industrial Action

Protected Industrial Action

The Ban on Overtime and the Ban on Piloting Duties started at 8 am yesterday morning.

What does this mean? From 8 am on 5 November 2020, any Pacific National Employee that is an RTBU Member, covered by the Pacific National Intermodal Outsourced Enterprise Agreement, started exercising their legal rights by refusing to work overtime and do piloting duties. These are protected industrial action items that YOU voted for and Pacific National cannot force you to do. This will last until 8:00am on 26 November 2020.

We have also reminded Pacific National that it is prohibited by law from taking any adverse action or in any way hindering our members from exercising their workplace right to take protected industrial action. If you believe Pacific National is in anyway targeting you, or your fellow union members, please let us know.

On Friday 23 October 2020, at the two Port Kembla Leagues Club member sessions, it was clear that members are very angry and unanimously voted to ramp up and continue with other protected industrial action items if Pacific National doesn’t come back to the negotiation table and give you the decent pay increase that you deserve.

As a result of not hearing from Pacific National and at the request of Members, we have lodged with Pacific National late Wednesday afternoon, three more notices of Protected Industrial Action.

• A 4-hour work stoppage, and
• A Ban on Unloading the Limestone wagons, and
• A 4-hour stop work meeting

A 4-hour work stoppage – this protected industrial action will commence on Friday, 13 November 2020 between 2 pm and 6 pm.

A Ban on Unloading the Limestone wagons – this protected industrial action will commence at 8:00am on Saturday 14 November 2020 until 8:00 am, Thursday 26 November 2020.

A 4-hour stop work meeting – this protected industrial action will commence on Tuesday, 17 November 2020 between 10.30 am to 2.30 pm. We are in the process of organising a gathering spot where we can meet to discuss any further or continued Protected Industrial Action Items.

We have been advised that Pacific National is seeking incentive approvals for AA employees to come in during these periods of protected industrial action. This is an insult to the hard working members looking for a decent pay increase and this waste of money could have been added to the pay increases you are seeking and you wouldn’t have to take this drastic action.

Your RTBU EA Negotiation team consists of RTBU delegates Paul Bentley, Jason McPhee and David Rowley and NSW Locomotive Division Organiser Kevin Pryor and NSW RTBU Branch Organiser Craig Turner.

Download the full newsflash here.