CA to CSA1 Dispute Update

Bulletin 4.20

To: Rail, Tram and Bus Union – Sydney Trains Cleaning Attendants on Station Staff Members.

On 10 February 2020, your Cleaning Representatives attended the Fair Work Commission (FWC) in an effort to resolve the dispute for Station and Turnaround Cleaning Attendants (CA) to be reclassified as Customer Service Attendant Grade 1 (CSA 1).

There are a number of reasons the RTBU maintains this position:

• There are no references to CAs within section 4 of the Sydney Trains Enterprise Agreement 2018. Section 4 covers the employment of station staff in which is only references to CSA 1’s.

• Currently classified CAs perform many customer service duties.

• Sydney Trains have an expectation that CAs perform customer service. They are given the tools to conduct these duties and expected to complete paperwork to record how many customer service interactions they perform each shift.

• On many occasions CAs have been directed to perform duties on the barriers, assist with the boarding of wheelchairs off trains, and pass on delay slips to guards.

At FWC it was mutually agreed that the matter needed to go to arbitration to be resolved and a timetable was set. The timetable involves setting dates for when evidence and submissions are due. The dates for the respective submissions are:

• The RTBU is required to lodge by 16 March 2020.

• Sydney Trains is required to lodge by 20 April 2020.

• The RTBU is required to lodge our response to Sydney Trains’ evidence by 4 May 2020.

After the above is completed the matter will proceed to a hearing.

This is going to be a very technical and complex matter and won’t be resolved in a speedy manner. The case is important and deserves to be properly prepared and argued. You delegates continue to work tirelessly to ensure that all members are treated (and paid) fairly.

In the event members have any questions please contact your local delegate or the RTBU office.

Issued By: Helen Bellette Branch Organiser

Authorised By: Alex Claassens Branch Secretary

Click here to download the bulletin.