Secretary’s wrap

We’ve made it past the halfway mark of the Federal Election and while transport hasn’t been a defining topic of the first half of the campaign, a lot can still happen between now and 2 July.

We’ve pulled together an overview of the transport announcements the major parties have made throughout the election campaign so far. You can read all about it here. 

Privacy is big issue for Loco Division members at the moment, with discussion around in-cab filming a hot topic. In addition to Aurizon’s continued push for in-cab cameras, we recently discovered that a Sydney Trains’ train had been fitted with a Go-Pro style camera.

You can read about the whole situation here but the short of it is that the situation was resolved after the Loco Division put the issues into dispute.

While of course we are happy to discuss any measures that improves safety, the Loco Division takes the privacy of our members very seriously, and we won’t stand for the recording of members without complete consultation and a very clear rationale for why the recording needs to be undertaken.

And finally, spare a thought for our comrades in the Bus and Tram Division who are in the midst of some tough enterprise agreement negotiations over the new light rail agreement. Patronage on our light rail has increased by 80% over the past 12 months and drivers have managed to get running times down substantially, yet the company still wants drivers to do more for less. They kicked off protected industrial action today by refusing to wear their uniforms. The Loco Division is behind our RTBU friends all the way.

Stay safe on the tracks,

Bob Hayden
Loco Division Secretary