By Bryan Evans
Organiser
While union campaigning has incrementally drawn the eyes and ears of industry and government, the RTBU remains the enforcer ensuring jobs are safe, workers are treated fairly and paid properly. Attacks from the bottom undermine the many achievements we have already locked into our industry agreements, so as the maxim goes – an injury to one is an injury to all.
No level of government regulation compares to the oversight attained by your union in understanding the issues and finding lasting industry specific solutions – that’s why the RTBU continues pushing from the front to ensure members are protected by RTBU standards.
This is long term strategic work that requires boots on the ground, and an ongoing battle to ensure the entire industry is covered by enterprise agreements that work for members. Over recent years we have tackled the rise of labour hire which has posed a real threat to generations of wages and conditions in rail through a committed campaign for wall-to-wall RTBU enterprise agreement coverage across the industry.
From the shonky arrangements between Sunstone and Metro, cut-throat wage slashing efforts by others and most recently the fallout of Morson’s ghost shift scandal, our EAs have curtailed unsolicited assaults on wages and conditions and have provided avenues for members seeking work opportunities and security across the industry.
Despite having locked away conditions in major agreements with Metro and V/Line Infrastructure and Rolling Stock Maintenance, the RTBU continues to press into every corner of the network lifting standards for all rail workers and organisations regardless of their size.
The steady roll of RTBU enterprise agreements being negotiated continues to drum on – improving past agreements and finding new players to ensure 100% EA coverage across the industry. Through our committed strategy supported by delegates, shop stewards and officials Joe Denis and mat Purcell, the RTBU is now negotiating more EAs then ever before. Our agreements now cover, plant, welding, labour hire, safeworking, rolling stock maintenance, overhaul and manufacture, and rail grinding, leaving virtually no rail business left without an RTBU agreement.
Newly negotiated RTBU agreements continue to come into effect. Most recently:
- UGL Ballarat’s EA has come into effect achieving its first 36 hour week
- McConnel Dowell EA has lifted and reinforced industry standard rates
- RMS has got its first union agreement. Historically having avoided a union agreement, RMS have joined the fold setting a new standard for the plant sector. Their agreement boasts a 36 hour week with solid rostering provisions taking a huge step forward to secure plant and operators back under the RTBU banner.
Currently under negotiation are another raft of agreements. These include:
- UGL Spotswood who undertake Pacific National Locomotive Maintenance. Union members from all unions at UGL Spotswood have just voted to take industrial action to press on and back their log of claims to secure a new improved EA.
- For SCT rolling stock maintenance the RTBU campaigned to obtain majority support to compel SCT to negotiate for a collective agreement. This EA is the first SCT rolling stock union agreement being negotiated where our first claim is to have members no longer working on individual contracts.
- Loram, who operate the rail grinder in Victoria, have tried everything under the sun to avoid negotiating their first union agreement. They were unsuccessful in their efforts when RTBU members successfuly came together and forced Loram to the table. Despite Loram’s unsuccessful legal challenges, negotiations are now in full swing where members recently voted to take industrial action to press their claims.
- While Safeworking Solutions have not had a great history with the RTBU, recent discussions may be set to change their outlook under a new union endorsed EA. Time will tell if this comes to fruition, regardless the RTBU will continue to support and advocate for the many RTBU members at Safeworking Solutions.
- Pacific National Wagon Maintenance bargaining for their first Victoria specific agreement. Given the site has been under threat of closure in the past it is no surprise that members’ core claims revolve around job security and ongoing maintenance in Victoria. While Pacific National have typically been ideologically opposed to clauses that give workers a say in what coffee is supplied let alone the clauses that provide job security, it seems this EA could be very significant for the future of freight maintenance in Victoria.
- Numerous other agreements are also under negotiation at varying other stages with companies including Skilled, Probe, Saady Rail, Earth Track, ARG, and Downer.
Soon to join the list, set to commence in the coming months are agreements with Activate Rail, Asciona, DTI, PN terminal operators, Gemco and Fastrack Welding.
