ARTC EA Update – Industrial Action Continues

Read the full Combined Unions ARTC NSW Enterprise Agreement Negotiations Newsletter here.

After three days of industrial action, Hunter members woke today to a public announcement by ARTC management via their local Paper, the Newcastle Herald.

ARTC paid for a full page advert in the paper apologising to customers for its employees taking legal protected industrial action and inconveniencing the public.

The Newcastle Herald ran an online poll, asking its readers “Should rail workers keep fighting?” The results as tonight show 93% of survey respondents agreed that rail workers should keep fighting!

Members of the Combined Unions in the Hunter met again at Broadmeadow today during today’s stoppage.

We had a great turnout at the peaceful assembly, with members and families in attendance. Several local opposition MPs addressed members, expressing their support for Combined Unions’ members’ action.

Read more about what’s next for the industrial action here.  

What is next for the industrial action?

1. The second 24-hour stoppage of work is currently underway and ends at 7am Sunday 7 August 2016.

2. The following 24-hour state-wide ban then starts at 7am Sunday 7 August and ends at 7am Monday 8 August 2016:

a. A 24-hour state-wide ban on on-call and call-out work.

i. This means if you were rostered on call for this period, you do not participate. If you are phoned to come to work for any reason other than a rostered shift you do not participate.

3. The following indefinite state-wide bans start at 7am Sunday 7 August and are then indefinite, meaning the bans continue until formally called off by the unions:

a. An indefinite state-wide ban on working overtime.

b. An indefinite state-wide ban on out of hours work

i. All members should note that bans 3a and 3b are bans on working any hours outside your normal rostered hours.

c. An indefinite state-wide ban on amalgamating Network Control Boards

i. Network Controllers should note under 3c, this means operating no more than one control board during your shift.

4. The following indefinite state-wide actions are continuing:

a. An indefinite action in relation to approved media statements (approved media statements are to be provided by the unions; Members not to participate without speaking to union officials first).

b. Inclusion of a union approved email signature / recording on all email and voicemail.

The Authorised statement for use in email auto-signatures, out-of-office autoreplies and voicemail messages is:

“VOTE NO to the ARTC NSW Enterprise Agreement!

We are calling on ARTC to genuinely negotiate with employees to reach agreement on a fair and reasonable Enterprise Agreement (EA), rather than offering a worse deal than that voted down in 2015.

Along with my colleagues at ARTC NSW, I am participating in lawful and protected industrial action in order to seek that ARTC protect important conditions in our EA, provide equitable entitlements, fair pay increases, and take steps to address safety and EA compliance issues now.”

“VOTE NO to the ARTC NSW Enterprise Agreement!

We are calling on ARTC to genuinely negotiate with employees to reach agreement on a fair and reasonable Enterprise Agreement (EA), rather than offering a worse deal than that voted down in 2015. Along with my colleagues at ARTC NSW, I am participating in lawful and protected industrial action in order to seek that ARTC protect important conditions in our EA, provide equitable entitlements, fair pay increases, and take steps to address safety and EA compliance issues now.”

The Combined Unions are recommending a “no” vote to ARTC’s offer on the NSW Enterprise Agreement (EA) – please let your colleagues know.

It is vitally important that you and your colleagues participate in the vote and VOTE NO. ARTC has unilaterally put an enterprise agreement out to the vote without the agreement of their unions.

The agreement is worse than that already voted down by employees in December, showing that after 7 months of negotiations in 2016, ARTC has blatantly ignored employees’ concerns. Members will be kept informed through further Newsletters and SMS.

Also visit any of the Unions web sites and Facebook pages, there are some great pics on there of members standing up for their rights at recent meetings.