Notification of Step 3 Dispute – Transport Officer (Fare Compliance Unit) Restructure

Bulletin 14 – 2015

To: RTBU Transport Officer Sub-Division Members,

The RTBU escalated the restructure dispute that was proposed for Transport Officers. The background of the dispute is Sydney Trains initiated consultation about a proposed restructure of the Transport Officer function on the 26^th January 2015. The reasons cited by Sydney Trains for the restructure were:

• Move from a management business model to a leadership business model;
• Reduction of managers will facilitate improved channels and consistency of communication with staff
• Removal of back of house management to frontline leadership.

There were a number of meetings with Transport Officers to brief them about the proposed restructure and to collect feedback.

Some of the feedback from membership included:

• There was a serious concern in relation to the ‘spill and fill’ philosophy that Sydney Trains had communicated during the briefing.
• Senior Transport Officers were concerned on how they will get an opportunity to act up in higher grades.
• How will Senior Transport Officers have time to fulfil the extra duties that will be required of them.
• Ensure Sydney Trains follow the correct recruitment procedures when advertising the new positions.

From the feedback collected from the membership and this was presented to Sydney Trains via a document on the 28^th January 2015. Sydney Trains responded on the 2^nd February 2015 with responses to the concerns.

The RTBU was in the process of getting further guidance from the membership when on the 5^th February the RTBU was advised by the representatives that Sydney Trains had published a message briefing Transport Officers that they had appointed someone to one of the positions that was in the process of being consulted on. The RTBU placed the proposed restructure in dispute on the grounds that Sydney Trains had breached the consultation clause and the lack of ‘good faith’ that was demonstrated.

Sydney Trains wrote to the RTBU on the 6^th February notifying that they are withdrawing the publication and assumed that this ended the dispute. Sydney Trains may have withdrawn this publication, however they had already appointed a person to a position that was under consultation. This was not the case as the membership still had concerns about the lack of ‘good faith’ demonstrated and the dispute had not been settled.

On the 11^th February 2015 Sydney Trains advised that consultation was completed and they were intending to roll out the new structure.

The RTBU advised Sydney Trains that the matter was still in dispute and the dispute was being escalated to step 3 as per the dispute settlement procedure. Sydney Trains put forward the position that as the restructure was occurring prior to the step 3 the status quo is interpreted as the restructure can proceed.

The RTBU believes as the dispute was lodged before the restructure and the step 2 was never discontinued the status quo is that the restructure is not to be rolled out. The RTBU is waiting for a date with Unions NSW to have the dispute addressed. Members are request to contact your local delegate or the RTBU office if they have any questions or comments.