QUBE Enterprise Agreement Update

In a last-ditch effort to reach an in-principle agreement, your RTBU Locomotive Division Delegate EA bargaining team met with QUBE Management yesterday at Cooks River. 

This was the last arranged meeting regarding the negotiating of your Enterprise Agreement with QUBE Management. At the close of yesterday’s meeting, both sides agreed to disagree, with QUBE advising at the end of the meeting that they will once again send their proposed Enterprise Agreement out for a vote. 

There are still 3 major outstanding issues as follows: 

• Sydney multiple Depot Locations –Some proposals put forward by your Negotiation team included employees to nominate a home depot and claim for time/kilometres if they were required elsewhere or even nominating a zone (East/West), but QUBE outright rejected these proposals based on “it would cost the company more”. What they haven’t looked at is the cost involved for you to travel to the old locations plus the new locations like Moorebank and Cooks River. 
• Sunset clause – QUBE continues to reject the inclusion of this clause. QUBE’s position is that with our pay not increasing after our EA expires, we are more likely to negotiate. Look at what has happened with the last 2 Enterprise Agreements. Both have gone well beyond their expiry dates and no pay increase. 
• Pay increase – QUBE maintains its latest position of a 3-year agreement with a 3% pay increase for each year is quite generous compared to other parts of QUBE’s business, but they are forgetting that you, as Train Crew, are still way behind any other operator. 

While there have been discussions surrounding back pay, QUBE management has threatened members that if you take any form of protected industrial action, any chance of back pay will be removed. Your last pay increase was due in April 2019. By not paying back pay, QUBE will be holding on to over 12 months of your pay. 

The NSW RTBU Locomotive Division Delegate Enterprise Agreement bargaining team has decided that we cannot support the proposed agreement in its current form. We are therefore encouraging all members to vote NO to the proposed Enterprise Agreement.

The NSW RTBU Locomotive Division Bargaining Team also agreed to conduct a tour which will start next week on Monday the 13th January 2020 as outlined below:

If the Enterprise Agreement is voted down again, there is only 1 thing left to do and that is to file in the Fair Work Commission (FWC) for an order that will allow members to take protected industrial action. If you are not sure if the home address that you have listed with QUBE matches the one on the RTBU membership system, please get in touch with the Union on 02 9264 3400. 

Remember: if you are not a member of the RTBU or if your address with QUBE does not match the address on the RTBU system, then you will not be able to vote in any protected action ballot that is sent out by the FWC nor take any protected action with your fellow Union workmates. 

Not a member? Then join today! This is this best opportunity for everyone to become an RTBU Locomotive Division member to achieve the best possible outcome for your Enterprise Agreement. If you have any questions, please contact your local Delegate or the RTBU Head Office on (02) 9264 3400. 

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