New Intercity Fleet (NIF) Update Dispute

Bulletin: 54/19

To: Rail, Tram and Bus Union – NSW Trains and Sydney Trains Guards and Station Staff Members.

New Intercity Fleet (NIF) Update Dispute

The saga around the “Your guide to the New Intercity Fleet” continues. The RTBU put the issues with the booklet immediately into dispute under the enterprise agreement. Amongst the issues with the booklet were:

• Introducing a new classification without the agreement of the union and its members.
• Changing the remuneration of members unilaterally.
• Lack of consultation before making such a significant proposal.
• The destruction of existing transfer and roster placement policies.

The RTBU has now advised NSW Trains that the dispute about the proposed classification and pay increases has progressed to step 3 of the dispute settlement procedure. This involves both the RTBU and NSW Trains putting their positions in writing and attending mediation with Unions NSW.

If that mediation fails, the RTBU will progress the dispute to the Fair Work Commission. That means that a Commissioner will hear our case and make a determination that legally binds both the RTBU and NSW Trains.

This situation could have been easily avoided had Transport for NSW not designed the NIF to have traction interlocking applied to the crew cab door and its repeated insistence to retain this non essential feature. This deliberate design inclusion has intentionally caused the destruction of the guards’ role as we know it, not to mention the significant changes to the drivers’ role (with in cab cameras just to rub salt into the wound).

The solution to all of this is simple, but NSW Trains, TfNSW, and the NSW Government won’t listen.

Thank you to everyone who completed the survey. We will be releasing the results of the survey shortly so stay tuned. 

Issued and Authorised by:

Alex Claassens

Branch Secretary