Visit the 
Visit the Combined Rail Unions Delegates Conference Update
On Tuesday, 24 June 2014 the Combined Rail Unions (CRU) held a well attended delegate’s conference to hear updates on progress of negotiations.
RAIL ENTITIES ADDRESS CONFERENCE
The Rail Entities addressed the meeting and outlined their position [See link below] in regards to negotiations. In particular the CEO of Sydney Trains stated Clause 47 Voluntary Redundancy/Management of Excess Employees had to be removed from any future Agreements. Further, he stated this was not just his position but that of the Minister for Transport and the NSW Government.
Delegates posed a number of questions to the CEO’s of Sydney and NSW Trains relating to both the offer put to the meeting by the rail entities and the NSW Government and the lack of respect shown over the last 18 months to long serving, knowledgeable and committed employees.
DELEGATES DISCUSSION AND OUTCOMES
There was extensive discussion by delegates in regard to how to progress these matters and it was agreed it was time for members to have their say on the matters negotiated to date. As a result the following resolution was carried as a recommendation to be put to meetings of members. This resolution does not replace previous resolutions carried by members earlier this year that endorsed and ratified the CRU’s log of claims.
RECOMMENDATION OF CRU DELEGATES CONFERENCE 24 JUNE 2014
This meeting of members cannot accept the Rail Entities’ offer in its current form. In particular this meeting is concerned about the following aspects of the Offer:
- The wages offer is a mere 0.1% above the rate of inflation.
- The offer of only six months redeployment is not sufficient to compensate for the loss of job security.
- This proposed term of two years does not provide sufficient certainty of conditions.
- The proposed dispute settlement procedure has limitations which do not apply to any other NSW public sector employee.
- The proposal to have key conditions of employment placed in an instrument which sits outside the Enterprise Agreement
This meeting of delegates calls on the Rail Entities to improve its offer by addressing our concerns, directs CRU representatives to agitate these matters to improve the offer, and will convene workplace meetings of members to brief members on the Offer contained in the Draft Agreement and to report back to a further meeting of delegates and /or meetings of members after 11 July 2012
NEXT STEPS
- There will be workplace meetings commencing on Monday, 30 June – Friday, 11 July 2014.
- A separate bulletin with times and locations of meetings will be circulated once venues are confirmed.
To view the 2014 Enterprise Agreement Rail Entities Offer – 24 June 2014, please click the link below:
http://www.rtbu-nsw.asn.au/multiattachments/7191/DocumentName/CRU_Bulletin_No.27-24.06.14.pdf