Darren Galea 
Organiser
Members would remember that in September this year negotiations were had that allowed PSOs to travel on trains. The negotiations were long and heavy and this was to ensure that RTBU members were in a strong position going forward.
Thanks to the hard work of Delegates, the RTBU was able to come to an agreement with The Police Association (TPA), Victoria Police, Public Transport Victoria & the Government around the role of PSOs and AOs moving forward.
This agreement that was finally reached has delivered job security for the AOs, making sure that PSOs were not able to perform AO duties, and also confirming that the minimum numbers of AOs will not decrease, in fact, we reached an agreement to increase the number of AO’s over the following year.
This would not have been possible without the hard work of all the Delegates during negotiations who quickly made them self-available when the prospect was put forward.
The RTBU & the TPA have arranged for AO Delegates, PSO Delegates and relevant representatives and Victoria Police to work together collaboratively. Consequently workshops with the relevant parties will be organized to get a better understanding of how we can strengthen this working relationship.
As soon as the dates are decided Delegates will be notified and are encouraged to attend at least one of the sessions.
These meetings will be crucial for better communication and interaction between the AOs and PSOs and I look forward to working with everyone for the betterment of the travelling public.
