Infrastructure EAs

Right of Way Procedures for Guards

Taylor Rail EA

Shortage of Station staff and On Board Repeaters

Currently due to rostering related issues, NSW Trains are struggling to cover a range of shifts for Station Staff and On-Board Repeaters that are utilised for Right of Way assistance to Guards across the network. In circumstances where there are no Station Staff or Repeaters present, members are reminded to follow the NTOSP 7 - Right of Way Procedure for Guards and Passenger Service Supervisors. This procedure outlines the process that Guards should follow while safely departing platforms. If there are no Station Staff or On-Board Repeaters present, Guards need to ensure it is safe to close the passenger doors and depart the platform prior to providing the bell signal to the Driver to depart. Should members not be able to see the entire length of the platform from their Crew Compartment, and there are no staff to assist, members should walk the platform to a position where they are able to view all passenger doors, ensuring there are no passengers caught in the doors or in an unsafe position prior to the departure of the train. After closing the passenger doors, Members should repeat this walk on the platform to ensure it is safe to depart the platform. Should this cause a delay to the train, Guards should submit a delay slip as with any delay. This is an important safety function for Train Guards and the community that we have been fighting hard to keep for many years. To help ensure the safety of passengers and help protect all jobs, including the Guard’s role into the future, please make sure you do your job safely and in accordance with necessary procedures, including NTOSP 7. Negotiations for the Rhomberg Rail National EA commenced around March 2021 management tabled an offer of 2.5% per year for a 3-year agreement with a new improved classification structure. A total of eight meetings were conducted, with members achieving improvement with the rostering, 24hr break between Night shift to Day shift will be applied and will not be counted as a fatigue day The Agreement was lodged and certified by the Fair Work Commission after members voted 35 out of 37 in favour of the Agreement.

This EA has taken some time to put together , however the 2022 Taylor Rail EA has been lodged with the Fair Work Commission in January 2022. Major concerns were raised by Management regarding the casual all-purpose rate, but the Union members and the company worked together to allow for the replacement of this clause with a casual conversion clause which will provide the opportunity for job security. While the wages increase was not as significant as other EAs, protection of all conditions and ability to build on in the future was significant.

ARTC EA

The ARTC 2022 EA has now been certified by the Fair Work Commission. This bargaining was significantly different to the 2018 EA that forced members to take protected industrial action due to the hostilities and behaviour of management at that time. While the wage increases were unfortunately in line with the Federal Government wage policy the members were able to make several significant improvements in the EA.

Train Signallers Win Key Safety Claims

Train signallers eased their industrial action in early February banning overtime shifts after the NSW Government agreed to resolve some of workers’ key safety claims in their new enterprise agreement. On the evening of 8th February, Transport Minister David Elliot committed to include two key safety asks in rail workers’ enterprise agreement with NSW Trains and Sydney Trains: • No driver-only trains in NSW, which will allow guards to continue working with drivers and station staff to ensure passenger safety on the platform • A fully transparent risk-assessment process for all new trains, with safety concerns to be evaluated by an independent third party Train signallers ceased their overtime ban at the Minister’s request, while the bans remained in place for the rest of Sydney and NSW Train employees until 21 February. All employees will continue the bans on working with contractors and foreign depot working as bargaining with transport management continues. “This is a win for thousands of rail workers who have spent a year fighting for these safety claims – claims transport management have knocked back again and again at the bargaining table,” says Alex Claassens, Secretary of RTBU NSW. “At the same time, rail workers should not have to fight this hard for common sense safety measures on our railways. “We are hopeful that bargaining with NSW and Sydney Trains will now be more productive and management will agree to negotiate on the rest of workers’ important safety claims. “I sincerely apologise to anyone whose travel is disrupted. However, this week of industrial action has achieved what a year of negotiations could not, and made our railways safer for you to travel.”