Southern Shorthaul Railroad EA close to finalisation

The RTBU have commenced talks with SSR to replace the current EA that expired some years ago. It is attempting to modernise the EA to bring each clause up to the current industry standard on issues such as meals away from home expenses and clauses required by FWA regarding flexibility.

SSR has recently secured new contracts to haul coal from Lithgow to Port Kembla and Newstan to Newcastle, and with their workforce increasing, it’s a perfect time to put in place an up-to-date EA.

The market for drivers is very competitive at the moment and having standardised EAs means the drivers can move between companies without losing conditions.

To the SSR’s credit it has been paying drivers incremental increases of two to three per cent over the last couple of years. The company has been receptive to the RTBU’s discussions and the union is confident it is close to finalising a new EA.