Sydney Trains changes excess shifts for full time Customer Services Attendants without any consultation

Bulletin 20.21

It has come to the RTBU’s attention that Sydney Trains management have decided to start rostering full-time Customer Service Attendants (CSA) for 4 or 5 hour shifts when offered an excess shift in order to cover part-time shifts.

What customarily occurred was when a full-time CSA was offered a part-time shift or any shift less than 8 hours in duration they would be paid for a full shift at 8 hours. This is because of the “Excess Shift Principle” that full-time Operational employees work too.

The Excess Shift Principle means if you are rostered an extra shift on your rostered days off or ADO, this new shift becomes a normal shift. You should then receive overtime penalty payments on the last shift of your fortnightly roster, after you have worked a 9^th or 10^th shift – depending on which fortnightly rotation you are working.

This practice seems to have been changed without any consultation with your union. The issue has been placed into dispute by your local delegates as management are not able to make this change absent agreement with the RTBU.

As this issue is in dispute, the status quo remains, which means the practice prior to the change remains in effect. In this case its means if you are a full-time CSA and are offered an excess shift on a day off, it needs to be an 8-hour shift minimum.

We urge all full-time CSA members when rostering offers you a part-time shift to cover, you should only agree to it if it is a minimum 8 hour shift.

Any questions, please contact your local RTBU delegate or your Organiser on (02) 9264 2511. If you are not an RTBU member, JOIN THE UNION TODAY! Together we are stronger! To join, contact our membership services team on (02) 9264 2511 or email at nswho@rtbu-nsw.asn.au.

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