Joe Dennis
Organiser
As everyone in aware, the Metro EA is now in full swing. Many meetings have taken place and we will continue to negotiate for members to receive an Enterprise Agreement (EA) that they deserve. V/Line’s EA is also due to expire in June and the date of our first meeting is set for the end of March. The RTBU is eager to begin negotiations for V/Line and have already held meetings with Delegates to compile the log of claims.
In the coming months the Probe (PTV Call Centre) EA is also expiring. The RTBU in conjunction with the National Union of Workers (NUW) and Australian Services Union (ASU) are meeting on a regular basis to discuss the best way to negotiate better pay and conditions for all call centre workers working at Probe.
Our membership at the PTV call centre has grown in the past few months as members are united in fighting for better conditions and pay in an industry that so desperately needs it. I also want to make special mention to the Delegates of the area for their hard work in increasing the membership in a traditionally non-unionised area.
Three unions united, should be interesting times ahead. We will keep you updated on the progress of all agreements.
Our members in Drouin have recently consulted with management and received a great outcome in relation to their roster. Some of the members there wanted reduced hours due to commitments outside of work and management were more than accommodating in sitting down with effected members and coming up with a roster that worked for all.
Staff at Drouin also had concerns with staff parking being located so far from their workplace, again with consultation between management and members, a permanent safer location for staff to park is now available.
Last year V/Line introduced a purple customer service vest for staff to wear. As the RTBU were not involved with the original risk assessment, another risk assessment was conducted with HSRs, RTBU Delegates and V/Line management.
As a result, the vest is now able to be worn by staff who perform platform work, coach work, event work and customer service duties. V/Line have also committed to looking into a possible lighter material for these vests to be made of as they are slightly heavier than the orange safety vest.
The RTBU also have introductory Delegates training coming up on April 10 and 11. If there are any Delegates who have not completed this training, please contact the RTBU to arrange release and a place for you to attend.
