Metro Trains Backpay Win

Metro Trains – One Step Forward, Two Steps Back

Backpay win for 32 Metro Trains members

In June 2020 management dropped a bombshell on our members when the CEO announced that MTS would undergo a full organisational review after only 12 months of operation. As part of that review, a number of members were made redundant in October 2020. Unions were then made aware that those members were not paid appropriately. However what followed was further alarming for members when MTS reneged on promises they would back pay members the EBA rates for work performed from May 2019. MTS claimed the backpay arrangement was only to be on the base rate and it excluded allowances and leave loading. The RTBU with the ETU and AMWU took the matter to the Fair Work Commission where the dispute was resolved in favour of the members. As a result Metro Trains was required to back pay members a total of more than 300 thousand dollars. This is a disappointing start to a new rail service provider and the contracting out of these jobs. However it was pleasing to be able to support our members who were denied payments. This shows the true value of being part of the union because when situations like these arise where you have been underpaid, union members support each other.

Railtrain: Hunter Ports Services Enterprise Agreement.

The Rail, Tram & Bus Union, Locomotive Division NSW Branch have been in negotiations with Railtrain representatives since May 2019 for a new Enterprise Agreement covering 12 employees in a single classification. Negotiations have been extremely difficult due to the company refusing to meet what we believe are basic standards and conditions. The RTBU have not tried to price our members out of the market but have attempted to give the members employment security and solid working conditions comparable to most employees within the Rail Industry. Negotiations were progressing slowly up until Railtrain decided on 13th December 2019 that they had finished their negotiations and decided to take their non-union supported Agreement out to members for a vote. The outcome of the vote was a resounding “NO” with 100% of those who voted rejecting the Company’s inferior proposal, with the vote being declared on 23 December 2019, 2 days prior to Christmas. Early in 2020, the RTBU Locomotive Division contacted Railtrain to recommence the EA negotiations and after some shuffling of the deck chairs following the Chief Executive Officer & National Human Resources Advisor leaving the Company, a meeting was finally organised and occurred on 6 August 2020. As the Company’s attitude and regressive philosophy had not changed, the RTBU made the difficult decision to withdraw from negotiations as we could not be seen to be endorsing such a basic/ sub-standard agreement. Due to the Company’s proposed Enterprise Agreement containing very basic conditions and protections, an extremely low rate of pay, and the fact that employees have only received an increase of approximately $0.83 cents in the last 5 years that Railtrain have operated in NSW, the Agreement should be named the “Servitude Agreement”!