Sydney Trains exploits a technicality on Stations training ban

Dear members,

There has been some confusion around part of the Stations ban on non-safeworking training and non-safeworking competency assurance assessments.

Instead of listing the second ban as a ban on competency assurance “assessments”, the ban was notified as a ban on competency assurance “training”.

Although we can all be confident that Sydney Trains knew exactly what we meant and knew exactly what our industrial action was, management decided to play a silly game pretending that they thought we were banning the task of “training to perform competency assurances”.

Management have exploited this by using the loophole in the Fair Work Act which is designed to stop workers exercising their lawful right to take industrial action. We’ve become used to this sort of low act by them.

The following is where the bans stand:

1. The ban on non-safeworking training continues to apply until (at least) 10 October 2022.
2. The ban on non-safeworking competency assurance assessments will now only apply from 0001hrs on 23 September 2022 and will continue indefinitely.

Apologies to any member that was faced with management’s obstinance today and be assured that if you did do the right thing and enforce the ban, you are fully protected by the union and the law.

Please reach out if management targets you in any way.

In Unity,
RTBU NSW

Issued & authorised by Alex Claassens, Secretary, Rail, Tram and Bus Union – NSW Branch
Level 4, 321 Pitt Street,
Sydney NSW 2000
Tel: (02) 92642511
nswho@rtbu-nsw.asn.au
www.rtbu-nsw.asn.au

13 September 2022

Download PDF Version Here