Government told to put its money where its mouth is

Dear Members,

Over the past few weeks, NSW Government ministers have lined up in the media to suggest that it is the Unions who are stopping the enterprise agreement from being approved and bringing this dispute to a close. We know this is not true at all – after all it was the Government that made a promise to the Fair Work Commission that it would not put the agreement out to a vote until the good faith bargaining case is finished.

In response this Government rhetoric, our EA delegates, in conjunction with delegates across the CRU, have told the Government that it’s time to put its money where its mouth is.

If the Government agrees to our final outstanding claims, listed below, and commits to lock them in (and of course honours their commitment to the already agreed items from our log claims) regardless of the outcome of a vote, then it would be free to test its theory that members will accept their wages cap by putting the EA to a vote.

On Friday evening, the CRU wrote to Sydney Trains and NSW Trains to set out the 4 outstanding claims yet to be resolved that would have to be addressed before an agreement is put to a vote. They are:

1. Rostering Agreements for Stations, Network Control, CSOs, On-boarders, and Fleet Maintenance.
2. Deed for the New Intercity Fleet, as well as a prohibition on Driver Only Operations and staffing requirements for safety at the Platform Train Interface.
3. Higher Standards Cleaning Allowance of $2.55 per hour.
4. Union Involvement in risk assessments.

The wages component is still very much outstanding with the Government stuck on its inadequate offer of 2.53% payable from 1 May 2022, and 3.03% from 1 May 2023 with the Agreement expiring on 1 May 2024 (noting that their wage offer contains only two increases and excludes the entire third increase in the CRU offer). Given the Government’s steadfast refusal to move from its wages position, the only way to comprehensively tell them its not good enough is a resounding “NO” vote.

The Government has been saying for weeks now that it wants to put its deal to a vote. This is its chance to agree to the final union claims and see whether hardworking union members will accept their insulting wage increase.

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

8 November 2022

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