Sydney Trains flexible working survey

Members may have noticed Sydney Trains have circulated a survey entitled “Train Crewing Flexible Working” to operational staff.

The Locomotive Division encourages members to be very cautious if they choose to complete this optional survey.

Sydney Trains purport to have your best interests at heart, but make no mistake, the data gained from surveys like this will be used to support Sydney Trains in attacking hard fought conditions of employment.

The survey has questions gauging employee interest on topics such as:

• Ability to work from different depots
• Ability to choose the type of work in your shift (i.e. standby, shed/wash, specific routes)
• Ability to choose the number of hours you work per roster period
• Part-time working

Lines of enquiry such as these potentially undermine important conditions like home depot status, lines of succession, hours of work, minimum shift lengths, excess travel, guarantee payment and any associated remuneration. Additionally, proposals in this space may pave the way for unwanted working arrangements like split shifts.

With senior Train Crew Management already spruiking working groups to develop and implement change, the timing of this survey cannot be a coincidence. Member/Employee feedback will be used to justify whatever wish list of changes Sydney Trains will have no doubt already identified they want to attack to benefit the business in upcoming Enterprise Agreement negotiations.

Members must understand any information Sydney Trains gain may have long term negative impacts on the industrial arrangements of all drivers.

The Locomotive Division reiterates, Members should display extreme caution if they choose to complete this survey. When employers talk about “improved flexibility” it is very rarely for the benefit of workers.

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