The last few months have been busy across the industry. Several major projects have had lengthy occupations with hundreds of rail workers on site.

With inland rail taking off and numerous projects still slated for the years ahead, it continues to be a busy time in the industry, something the RTBU remains committed to advocating for into the future.

I have visited many prestarts and work sites, working with all the RTBU shop stewards and delegates to uphold safety and grow union membership.

Several projects have been found to cut corners on safety. Where I have been made aware, they have been held to account. From expired PPE to unsafe systems of work, these all endanger our members onsite.

The RTBU will not allow employers to jeopardise safety on site. All RTBU members have the right to work in a safe environment and return home to their families safely. We will continue to enforce this right!

Working with the team of delegates and shop stewards, we will continue to engage all sites and conduct safety inspections in order to maintain the highest level of safety for you all.

The RTBU continues to be a powerhouse on rail projects. This continues to be recognised on the job and has resulted in continuous membership growth.

Members have continued to show interest in becoming more active within the union. This assists in maintain conditions and safety onsite. We are strongest when we work as a big team.

We have also progressed negotiations for several enterprise agreements in both labour hire and safeworking. A number of additional agreements means better coverage across the industry, along with the renegotiation of expiring agreements, locking in pay rates and conditions for the future.

If you have any issues or want to arrange a prestart or site visit, please contact me.

V/Line Operations EA Ready to Vote! 

Drafting of the V/Line Rail Operations EA has now concluded and all Government approval stages have been completed. 

V/Line has informed the RTBU that with these steps now completed, that the access period will run from Monday 24 June to Wednesday 2 July. 

The access period is a period of time an employer must give employees to review a proposed enterprise agreement along with explanatory documentation at least 7 days before the commencement of a vote.  

Voting will then be open from 9am Wednesday 2 July until 12 midday on Friday 5 July. 

This outcome is a testimony to the incredible solidarity and strength shown by RTBU members taking industrial action through 7 statewide stoppages to ensure a fair deal could be reached. Without a united and strong voice, the Government Wages Policy would not have been challenged in the way necessary to secure such an outcome - congratulations! 

This enterprise agreement sets a new standard for the industry and provides steadfast protections for members in the face of a changing industry.  

UNIONS WORKING TOGETHER: ACTU Congress 2024 

The Australian Council of Trade Unions (ACTU) triennial congress has concluded with a strong message. Working together, unions can take full advantage of new workplace laws to protect members and secure advances in wages and conditions.  

The congress is an opportunity for unions to come together and share their experiences across different industries to improve outcomes in their respective workplaces. It also serves as an opportunity for delegates from different state branches of the RTBU to share learnings from recent disputes to ensure we operate as a cohesive and powerful national union. 

RTBU National Secretary Mark Diamond in his speech discussed the importance of solidarity where workers act together to achieve outcomes beyond the sum of their parts. Taking a whole of union strategy and playing as a team makes the RTBU a formidable force in the face of national and multinational corporate interests in the rail and public transport industry.  

Other key topics also included new workplace legislation and how unions can tap into new powers, the future of work and international collaboration to fight back against globalised capital. 

PROBE EA BARGAINING INITIATED

The RTBU has been campaigning for a new EA for RTBU Members at the PTV contact center.

Members, who work at Probe under a Department of Transport and Planning contract, have been working under an enterprise agreement that expired in 2019.

Despite best efforts, the RTBU have come up against unwavering Management, who have refused to budge on negotiating a new replacement agreement.

RTBU Organisers have been strategising the best way forward, preparing a log of claims, exploring options and making preparations to bring Probe to the bargaining table.

We are pleased to advise members this hard work has paid off!

Under new workplace laws introduced by the Federal government, we wrote to Probe to initiate bargaining.

Online meetings are being organised for members to attend, and we encourage all Probe members to prioritise attending them to ensure you have the most up to date information about the progress of bargaining for your wages and conditions.

If you know anyone in your workplace who is yet to join the RTBU, there has never been a better time to join their union.

Speak to your RTBU delegates Hervindar Kaur and Maria Dolcetta, or contact your RTBU Organiser Sally van Bragt for information on how to sign up as a member.

You can also join the RTBU online here: www.rtbuvic.com.au/join

WIMDOI WRAP-UP

From 7 May to 9 May this year, 250 women from over 30 Unions across Australia and New Zealand gathered together to attend the bi-annual Women In Male Dominated Occupations and Industries (WIMDOI) conference.

Alongside the conference, we also partook in May Day celebrations and it was great to celebrate and show solidarity with Queensland comrades.

The RTBU was represented by 24 women from branches all around the country including Victoria, New South Wales, Queensland, and Western Australia.

Created 25 years ago, the WIMDOI collective aims to empower women in the workplace to come together and gain skills in campaigning and union representation. The WIMDOI conference brings together union women who work in male dominated industries together to raise common issues encountered in the workplace and collaborate on ways to resolve those issues.

The conference provides an educational opportunity for women to discuss past and present campaigns and share union wins.

The RTBU has secured a backpay in the tens of thousands and a new ongoing classification with an annual pay grade over $30k higher following a dispute about the application of the acting in higher clause at Metro.

The acting in higher clause states that a worker who completes 6 months acting in a higher position will gain the personal classification of the higher position on an ongoing basis. After several months of formal dispute and pending hearing at the fair Work Commission, the matter was eventually resolved through an agreed settlement.

It marks one of the highest personal backpay amounts and boost to personal classification for an acting in higher matter.

It is a good reminder for all members to stay up to date with the provisions of the new Agreement. While this matter was initiated under the old agreement for the purpose of pursuing the backpay, the new acting in higher clause is an improvement on the old one.

If you are currently acting in a higher position, be sure to check the clause in your Agreement. V/Line has a similar clause and other EAs across the rail industry also contain this provision.

As a first port of call, your RTBU Delegate and Organiser can provide advice and support with acting in higher. In this matter, the local delegate was instrumental in supporting the member and escalating this dispute to resolution.

We’re currently examining several other similar cases that we will pursue in the near future. More to come on this.

Most importantly, only the RTBU has the power, knowledge and legitimacy to bring and win these kinds of disputes. In addition to the increased pay rises and improved conditions that we’ve secured through bargaining, this is another example of how it pays to be a RTBU member.

I would also like to take this opportunity to thank Amanda Swayn and Callen Parsons from our Industrial Team, on their hard work and dedication to achieving the best possible outcomes for Members in each and every case they take on.