RTBU / TWU Deed Finalised The Deed (the legal document) representing the peace deal between the RTBU and TWU has now been finalised and signed by all parties. A summary of the key components of the agreement is as follows: • The RTBU has agreed not to sign up new members in Region 6. • The RTBU retains coverage of it’s existing legacy membership in Region 6. • The RTBU has agreed to purge it’s membership of individuals signed up in Region 6 after privatisation. • The RTBU’s new rule change will only be for coverage of private bus operators in Newcastle (Region 5) and Sydney Regions 7, 8 and 9. • The TWU has agreed not to sign up members in Newcastle (Region 5) and Sydney Regions 7, 8, or 9. • The TWU recently had coverage of Trams in Canberra approved. This
was completed before the Deed was signed; the TWU has agreed to reverse that rule change. • Once the TWU has reversed that rule change to exclude coverage of the Trams in Canberra, they will purge their membership to remove those individuals and not pursue those people in future. • The TWU has agreed to support any move by the RTBU to fight or rescind a Greenfield Agreement they are a party to. They did this recently in our Federal Court appeal against the Busways Greenfield Agreement. • The RTBU and TWU have agreed not to be a party to any Industrial Agreement made with companies in regions that have been acknowledged as being the sole operational areas of the other union. • Both Unions are working collaboratively to bargain for a
Overtime Meal Allowance Update RTBU Infrastructure members claim for unpaid overtime meal allowances under clause 139 of the Sydney Trains Enterprise Agreement 2018 (Agreement) has been presented before the Fair Work Commission on Friday 30th July 2021 before his honour Justice Bromwich. Both parties presented written evidence, had witnesses present in court provided statements and were cross examined. Justice Bromwich congratulated the RTBU on their excellent submissions and will now review all the evidence presented before deciding and handing down a decision. Thank you to all the members who provided old documents as proof that you were not paid the overtime meal allowance.
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single Agreement in Region 6 so all workers are on a single set of conditions and rosters. It remains the fact that this outcome was voted on and approved by elected representatives of the RTBU across the country as being the best result for the majority of members. The signed Deed is a legally binding contract between the two Unions. While it remains bitterly disappointing for the future of the Tram & Bus Division in region 6, we will continue to represent our existing members there. The RTBU will now focus on the work of advancing workers’ pay and conditions instead of fighting with another Union. On September 14 2021, a letter was sent to our members in Region 6 that joined after July 2018, inviting them to resign before 15 October 2021 or they will be purged.
Transit Systems Region 6: FWC Wage Decision RTBU Tram and Bus Division Delegates and Officials are currently in the process of bringing Transit Systems to the table to negotiate the Enterprise Agreement for members in Region 6. We wrote to TSA asking them to implement the legal decision of the Fair Work Commission and increase the pay of RTBU members under the Copied State Award to 2.5% effective from 1 July 2021. This is mandated under the FWC minimum wage adjustment to the lowest paid workers and workers on Copied State Awards with no further increases. Under law, this is payable to those members on the old STA Award (which is a Copied State Award) in Region 6. The initial response from the TSA was that it would be paid. Despite this commitment we were notified that Transit Systems planned to offer 2.5%
as the initial wage increase in our first negotiated Federal Enterprise Agreement. TSA are effectively twisting the bargaining in their favour. Not only are they trying to claim credit for a wage increase won by the Union movement for working people, but they are also failing to adhere to the bargaining environment by incorrectly framing this pay increase as an EA increase, rather than a minimum wage adjustment. This distraction is a cheap employer tactic to distract us from their spin and avoid discussing real wage increases through the proper bargaining process. Bargaining does not work this way, and the RTBU will not bend its arm to mediocre offers. The RTBU has not agreed to this on behalf of Region 6 members. We will continue the fight to have this increase paid.
RAIL & ROAD September 2021
