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PN Intermodal EA Ballot
Alstom Transport PTY LTD Sydney Light Rail Operations and Maintenance Enterprise Agreement. You Decide!
PN Intermodal EA Ballot
After 12 months of negotiations, RTBU representatives and management at Alstom Transport have agreed that it is now up to members to decide if the proposed Enterprise Agreement is acceptable.
The results of the EA ballot have been finalised, and with 88% of members voting, the EA was endorsed by a majority of members.
On January 12, RTBU Officials and Delegates met with members to advise them of the package. At these meetings members raised some specific questions about the on-call provisions and the voting process’s confidentiality. RTBU Officials and Delegates raised these concerns and received confirmation in writing that the voting process will remain confidential and anonymous. To make sure this happens, Alstom has engaged an external agency to run the voting process. Management has also agreed to include a commitment to not change the on-call provisions without consultation, with wording to this effect included in the draft agreement. It is now up to you to decide if you will accept the proposed Enterprise Agreement (EA). Before voting, you will receive a copy of the draft EA and information on how to vote from the agency, Go Vote. While we didn’t get everything, we know the offer from management has increased due to members joining and organising together.
What’s on the table ?
A wage increase and back pay: • If the agreement is accepted, members will receive backpay of 2.5% for 2018 and 2.45% for 2019. • Management has offered no pay increase for 2020. • Additional pay increases of 1.8% in 2021 and 2% in 2023 • Extra tool reimbursement clause removed. Alstom will provide all tools required. • New subclause regarding purchasing of prescription safety lenses • New clause committing parties to develop a competency based classification structure. Maintenance of current conditions; including: • Wages will continue to be paid weekly. • Members will continue to be classified as shift workers retaining the entitlement of five weeks annual leave • Members will maintain roster payments over the entirety of the Easter Weekend. If you have any questions, please contact your workplace delegate or organiser.
Where to Now?
In the final days of the Access Period, members made PN and the RTBU National Office explicitly aware as to what was going on out on the ground. As per the members’ directives (through the EA Bargaining Team), National Secretary Mark Diamond secured key commitments from Pacific National:
Driver Delegate Workgroup
A Workgroup will be formed (Delegates, the RTBU and PN) to sit down and resolve the six most contentious outstanding disputes, those being: • Attachment 1, clause 17: Cancellation recovery shifts • Attachment1, clause 4: Shift limits and 3up and 4up • Attachment 1, clause 1.1: All known working to be placed in the Master Roster • Attachment 1, clause 2.7.3: “Day in Lieu” and working an RDO
• Interpretation of “direct contact” to the Driver concerned (voicemail and text messages) • Attachment 1, clause 3.5: Altering a Drivers Roster with less than 12 hours’ notice and sign on/off provisions If resolution cannot be agreed upon, these matters will be taken further as per the DSP Clause in the EA in a timely manner. On top of the above six issues, National Organiser Leanne Holmes will be collating a spreadsheet of every outstanding Notice of Dispute (NOD) across the country. Members have made it clear that that they are sick and tired of NODs going nowhere. Leanne will be getting in contact with Branch Organisers to ensure that all NODs are included. PN have been put on notice that Members will no longer accept reinterpretation, reimagining or reinvention of what a Clause means or is how it is implemented.
After months of lengthy negotiations and drawn out industrial action, our members have had a win.
As one of the conditions of the extended industrial action, In January, Pacific National employees voted on a new the RTBU was required to comply with Federal Court enterprise agreement to replace the Pacific National orders to have members on standby to the extent necessary Intermodal – Outsourced Projects Enterprise Agreement to avoid the dumping of hot metal. This has meant, 2017, which nominally expired on 30 June 2020. unfortunately, that some members had to work during this This was the result of hard battle where our members had stoppage. We know this isn’t ideal, but we appreciate those to take the industrial actions outlined above to force Pacific members who agreed to do this. National back to the bargaining table. Offer put to Pacific National The votes have been counted and we have the result. On 16 November 2020, we put the following member • Total number that voted was 56 out of 67 – 84% endorsed position to Pacific National: response. 1. A 4% pay increase from 1 January 2021 until the end of • Total number of votes that voted “yes” for the
Pacific National’s contract with BlueScope; and Enterprise Agreement was 54 – 96% 2. A 3.5% pay increase from 1 January 2021 until the end • Total number of votes that voted “no” for the of Pacific National’s contract with BlueScope, with a Enterprise Agreement was 2 – 4%one-off of $2,000 per employee. The RTBU is willing to negotiate the timing and phrase of the one-off payment. For example, as either a sign on or retention payment. The Pacific National Outsourced Projects Enterprise Agreement 2021 has now been voted in and endorsed by members. As a sign of good faith, the RTBU also notified Pacific National of its cancellation of the 24- hour work stoppages scheduled for 24 December, 25 December, and 26 December 2020 in anticipation of a meeting as soon as • Once approved by FWC, employees will receive backpay from the 1st full pay period after the 1st of January of 2.5%. possible so the parties can resolve the issues in dispute. ·• They will then receive another 1.25% pay increase There was further industrial action scheduled for the from the 1st full pay period after the 1st July 2021. following week, with two further 24-hour work stoppages • The agreement will expire on the 31st December 2021, on 21 December 2020 and 22 December 2020. There at which time members will receive a $750 retention remained an indefinite ban on overtime and a ban on bonus. piloting duties and the unloading of limestone wagons until Congratulations must go to all members who made a stand, 11:59pm on 24 December 2020. voiced their concerns to the Company with their protected A picket line was set up between 10.30am and 2pm outside industrial action and for finally getting an improved offer the main gates at BlueScope on Tuesday 22 December2020. they deserve!
