the journal of the Australian Rail Tram and Bus Union ... · by PN Coal Queensland which has resulted in more and more PN workers joining the Union. PN Coal has 81 employees in the

inside: Anti-privAtisAtion rAllies • roAd to rAil • pn updAte

he journal of the Australian Rail t Tram and Bus Union Queensland Branch

union news issue 7.3 Autumn 2010

Union continues to work hard for PN members

The RTBU has been working hard to represent members employed by PN Coal Queensland which has resulted in more and more PN workers joining the Union.

PN Coal has 81 employees in the Goonyella system and a further 35 in the Blackwater system.

RTBU organiser Shayne Kummerfeld said the Union had been actively organising in the area.

“Those numbers are permanent PN Coal Queensland and Skill Rail employees. PN Coal Queensland Employees are covered by a Non-Union Agreement unlike the Skill Rail employees.

The RTBU remains concerned over safety issues raised by Members.

“We will continue to campaign vigorously over safety, rostering and on other issues such as limitation of hour’s breaches,” Shayne said.

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2 Union News the advocate autumn 2010

Barden to continue proud traditionAllan Barden was elected National Secretary of the RTBU in November 2009, following the tragic death of his predecessor, Greg Harvey.Allan started as a trainee engineman in 1978 and

worked through the grades before becoming an electric train driver in Sydney.Through his long association with the transport

industry, Allan has spent many years fighting for issues which can affect members’ lives including fairer pay, conditions, rostering and better safety. He has extensive experience and understanding of

our Union at the national and branch levels, having previously served as an Assistant National Secretary and as an Organiser in the NSW Locomotive Division. Allan was also the National General Secretary of the AFULE prior to amalgamation in 1993. Allan has given a commitment to continue the RTBU’s

proud tradition of identifying workplace challenges and tacking them head on. He also wants to provide strong leadership and work with all divisions and branches to campaign for the rail, tram and bus industries. Allan says that, following many years of neglect,

passenger and freight transport are back in favour and it’s important for our national office to play a role in determining where and when these new funds are allocated. He says that a strong, stable national office is vital for

attracting more government funds to build and maintain the transport sector – not just to promote the needs of the community – but to secure more jobs for our members.

State Secretary’s reportfrom Queensland state secretary owen doogan

The RTBU has now been at the forefront of the struggle against the privatisation of Queensland’s assets and particularly major sections of QR for almost a year now. The areas of privatisation in the rail industry at the present time are all of the Freight, Coal and Minerals operations, RACS, Network within the Coal Industry and Infrastructure in the Coal business as well as some of the infrastructure project workgroups.This includes all the subsidiary companies such as ARG

and Interail.However, the battle is not just against the privatisation of

these areas, this struggle that workers have at the present time is to stop privatisation becoming the normal culture for both Labor and Liberal-National Governments in the future.The General Secretary of the Queensland Council

of Unions, Ron Monaghan, has to be commended for identifying early in the piece that the massive privatisation program introduced by this Labor Government, only a few weeks after the last election, had implications well beyond the areas immediately affected.How could the Union movement credibly campaign

against any privatisation proposed by a Government in the future if the Union Movement did not fight to try to overturn the outrageous privatisation plans of the current Queensland Labor Government. Furthermore, the Union Movement would, and should, be seen to display acquiescence to privatisation if a constructive campaign did not occur.Whilst the RTBU and other Rail and Port Unions would

have vigorously campaigned against this privatisation program regardless of the position of the Queensland Council of Unions, this support that was provided by the vast majority of members of this body certainly strengthened our campaign.The reality is that if the Bligh Government was allowed

to get away with this privatisation unscathed then the vulnerability, both inside and outside Queensland Rail, to further privatisation would have been immense.There is no reason to believe that any future Labor or LNP

Government would not have felt comfortable to extend its privatisation to other areas such as the electricity industry and Brisbane City Council buses.The second issue relates to internally within QR. If the

major campaign against privatisation of the QR assets currently under the hammer is not successful it would mean that a large number of current QR employees will end up being employed in the private sector. But the threat to those remaining within QR would be quite substantial if it wasn’t for our current campaign.

…If the Bligh Government was allowed to get away with this privatisation unscathed then the vulnerability…to further privatisation would have been immense.There is no reason to believe that any future Labor or LNP Government would not have felt comfortable to extend its privatisation to other areas such as the electricity industry and Brisbane City Council buses.

If a future Labor or LNP Government thought that they could easily push through privatisation without the enormous pain being inflicted upon them by the mobilisation of the people of Queensland through the Union campaign, I am sure that there would have been no hesitation to remove future Network and Infrastructure workers employed by the public sector of QR to private sector. Furthermore, a threat of tendering out the Passenger Services would also be more likely.The point to this is that the campaign against privatisation

is not only relating to those employees whose positions are currently under the sell off hammer, it relates to the potential for the same thing to happen to our members retained within QR as well as BCC and other Government owned or controlled entities. As members will no doubt have gathered from recent

rallies and the ongoing television and radio campaign, the fight is well and truly continuing in our campaign for Queensland Government to abandon the privatisation of QR.For a State Labor Government to ignore the massive

opposition to this privatisation, the implications that this has had (and will have into the future) on the standing of the ALP in Queensland and the long-held principles of public ownership within the labour movement well and truly shows a Government that is complete out of touch with their own history and principles and also with the electorate that put them in Government. No Premier, Treasurer or other Senior Politician has

the right to commit their Party to such a suicidal course of action and without a change of direction the Queensland State ALP Government will almost certainly encounter a baseball bat reaction at the next State election.

Privatisation struggle affects all

Union News the advocate autumn 2010 3


If I damage your car so much that it doesn’t work anymore then I owe you a new one – right? Of course! If I’m your employer and injure you

at work it’s a different story. I jump through some hoops, maybe try to get some alternate work for you but probably after a while send you on your way with the requisite wringing of hands and shuffling of feet. Frankly I’ve always thought this to be the biggest flaw in our workers comp system. At least now, there’s half a chance we might get some progress towards a fairer system. So that’s the glimmer of hope. Here’s the bit I’m concerned about.The Queensland Government is

reviewing WorkCover with an eye to, as they say, 'ensure sustainability and fairness.' If you know what that means please drop me a line.

the government has sought input from the Queensland council of Unions on:• Changes to statutory benefits and rehabilitation

• Assessment of permanent impairment

• Issues driving the increase in common law

• Possible restriction under common law to a definition of ‘major significant contributing factor’

• Limiting access to common law for 0% impairment

• Increase of employer excess.

Importantly the QCU has highlighted the fact that employers are not doing the right thing when it comes to rehabilitation. From ours, and all other unions’ experiences employers just pay lip service to it – they don’t take responsibility for the fact they may have ruined people’s lives.

It isn’t too much to ask that they spare no effort in putting injured members lives back to some semblance of normalcy.I don’t have space to go through

all of the issues above in this article but we’ll have more information as the review goes on. Of key interest is the issue of possible restrictions on common law claims where WorkCover determines 0% impairment. Now, you might think that if

WorkCover says that you have 0% impairment you aren’t injured. Where I went to school I was pretty good at maths and 0% used to mean ‘nothing, nada, zip, bugger all.’ Not according to WorkCover. You see for some reason beyond me you can get rated at 0% and when you go see a lawyer who then sues the employer through the court system (that’s what they mean by access to common law) people still get pay outs for damages depending on the facts of their claim. In one case told to me by a lawyer recently it was in the order of $330,000.So the idea that someone who is

assessed as 0% impaired shouldn’t have a right to access to common law is very unfair. No surprise we will oppose it vigorously. One key issue is that the price

employers pay for WorkCover is ridiculously low. It’s among the cheapest in Australia and a realistic increase is the way they should keep themselves afloat. Cutting off injured workers rights to help isn’t the way to keep this system afloat, making employers pay their fair share is.There will be lots of work done by

the Queensland Council of Unions as well as the RTBU on this, keep your eyes peeled for further information. If you have any views on this, drop me a line at [email protected]

Workcover up for reviewby industrial officer peter Allen

"The Queensland Government is reviewing WorkCover with an eye to, as they say, 'ensure sustainability and fairness.' If you know what that means please drop me a line."

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President’s ReportBruce mackie

We’ve been campaigning for months to oppose the privatisation plans of the State Government. I’ve been to rallies of members across the state and the level of support for the campaign is overwhelming.Some rallies and protests over the years and on other issues

have been well attended but the key difference that we see in this campaign is the level of heart that’s being shown.What do I mean by heart? Simple: I’ve seen not only

RTBU members turning up, but their equally concerned families, neighbours and members of the community who share our concerns. People haven’t turned up expecting to simply wave a union

banner – they’ve brought their own hand-painted posters all expressing outrage at the government’s bad decision. I can’t repeat the actual words that I’ve seen but the message has been clear. Rail’s not for sale.The other thing I’ve noticed as I’ve been around to these

protests is that the numbers are increasing. As we move forward we are gaining support and numbers. It’s usually the opposite – as time goes on people often move on too.

They go cold and stop coming out. In this case it’s the reverse, the more people that hear about this issue the more they get angry and stay that way. It’s reflected in the polling that the QCU undertook – the State Government is in for a hiding if they don’t change their minds.So, I commend members and delegates on remaining

active on this issue. I’ve not only seen members coming to our rallies, there have been numerous petitions collected, meetings with local MPs to argue the case as well as engagement with the community. A great example of community engagement was where a group of delegates at a large workplace took the initiative to distribute flyers around their local area. They didn’t get prompted to do it. They saw it as their way to contribute to the campaign.As the days go by I hear about more and more delegates

and members getting active in their own way. It just goes to tell me that this campaign is not over by a long shot. In some ways, we are just getting wound up.

Maintain the rage and I’ll see you at the next rally.

Maintain the rage against asset sales


"…the more people that hear about this issue the more they get angry and stay that way. It’s reflected in the polling that the QCU undertook – the State Government is in for a hiding if they don’t change their minds."


Richie BatesInfrastructure Divisional Secretary

The Infrastructure Division has been concerned that the effects of privatisation are already being seen. Recently we’ve had a number of members reporting that there are advertisements in newspapers for work which looks suspiciously like that which Queensland Rail workers currently undertake. The first one was QR calling

for tenders from companies to supply telecommunications equipment and services which appear to be currently undertaken by our members in Asset Services. Beyond that we’ve seen private contractors advertising jobs for people to undertake work which, while it doesn’t specifically mention QR, looks very much like the work we do. We’ve made approaches to the

relevant management to discuss these matters as our agreements require consultation where jobs could be threatened. So far we’ve had no response but we will be keeping an eagle eye on developments. Any members who spot suspicious advertisements like these should forward them to the Union office as soon as possible.

"The Infrastructure Division has been concerned that the effects of privatisation are already being seen."

Kelvin steeRLoco Divisional Secretary

With over 30 unresolved issues arising from the Traincrew Union Collective agreement, our traincrew delegates Mal Williams, Driver Bluff and Keith Heinemann, Driver Jilalan have been in battle with management in Coal North and Coal South to ensure the integrity of the new agreement. To date, this has been a tough ask

for these delegates but they are making some in-roads with the employer.Since the introduction of the

QR Limited Traincrew Union Collective Workplace Agreement both local and state Union representatives have been experiencing a huge challenge dealing with the many different interpretations being placed on most of the clauses in the agreement.The problem is that many of the

management team involved with negotiating the agreement have moved on, leaving the Union to argue the intent of the agreement with a team of managers who were not involved at the crucial time of negotiations.The RTBU is consistently hearing

from management, that they have paid for significant flexibilities in the workplace and that they will pursue these changes whatever it takes.The RTBU’s position is that we

know what the true intent is on all of the issues and will stand up and fight for the membership to ensure that management do not use this agreement to pursue their own agendas.The RTBU is also dealing with

numerous issues in PNQ and PNQ Coal. We’re excited by the fact that over a relatively short period our membership has grown dramatically in these organisations. We’ve raised numerous safety and workplace concerns with these companies and our members have been active in getting some of these resolved.

Ralph MinteRRail Operations Divisional Secretary

Mackay Q-Link workers were provided with a draft roster that provided for one 10 hour day, three 8 hour days and a 6 hour day, all to be paid at ordinary rates.It had no voting process with it

and it seemed that members were about to be hoodwinked.Our active members there took

a stand and all signed a letter advising the employer that they do not agree to work above 8 hours at ordinary rates. This is consistent with the requirements in the Coal and Freight Logistics agreement, which requires the employer to have agreement of the workers prior to any implementation.

Subsequently management advised that they would not progress with this rostering style.

Why would workers agree to have overtime taken off them, when the rosters did not provide for any increase in leisure time for them?The concept for working above

8 hours at ordinary rates is to increase the quality time off for employees and not to solely reduce costs to the business.This issue isn’t confined to

Mackay Q-Link. Members across the division are experiencing pressure from rosters which are designed to meet business but not workers needs. Members are encouraged to get actively involved in rostering processes to ensure fairness for all those involved.

divisional reports


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DaviD sMithAdmin Division Divisional Secretary

Safety in the workplace is something this Union has been promoting since its inception. Now, however, we see that it has been taken from the sublime to the ridiculous by QR and QR Network. In particular, I’m talking about fatigue. QR Network has recently brought

its new Fatigue Management Policy into being. This policy has some merit, but only for workers who work shifts by themselves (think Area Controllers and Yard Coordinators). For those of us in the Network Control Centres, it's corporate overkill. It appears to the workers in Control, that this policy is nothing more than managerial butt covering. This became apparent when, during the consultative process, QR Network refused to conduct a risk assessment on our current shifts.We have been working with a fatigue

management process since 2003, with no incidents or accidents that have been attributed to fatigue. So now we have to change our rosters to meet the requirements of this policy, forcing, unnecessary changes to our family, social and community lives so that some senior managers can pat themselves on the back, having met the ZERO cHARM requirements.The interesting thing about this

policy is that we must not have rosters that exceed a FAID score of 80, except, when it is to QR Networks benefit (such as over-time), then it seems, that a FAID score of 100 is okay (they can manage it then). We work in a team environment,

with support officers and Shift Supervisors, we can get a coffee or tea whenever we need one, we get a half hour rest break, we are never alone and all our systems are failsafe. Safety hasn’t increased because someone is being paid overtime. If fatigue can be managed when it suits QR, why can’t it be managed the same way all the other times?

GReG tatnellWorkshops, Fleet Manufacture Divisional Secretary

The division is pleased to note that the RACS group has turned a profit with the electric loco upgrade programme. We’ve always taken the view that our members are highly skilled workers who, when given the opportunity, can come up with the goods as well if not better than any private sector operation.Our division has been active in the fight

against privatisation. Members have attended rallies, meetings with state politicians individually and at community cabinet meetings. We’ve also put in a lot of effort to engage with the community through letterboxing and other grassroots campaigning. We’re passionate about the railway and strongly opposed to this misguided sell off.


Applications close Friday 30th April, 2010

Applications can be obtained in writing from:

The Office Manager RTBU Bursary Trust Rees R & Sydney Jones PO Box 83 Rockhampton QLD 4700

or email Jenny Stewart: [email protected]

Rees R & Sydney Jones is a firm of solicitors in Rockhampton which have an extensive practice in Central and North Queensland.

For some years, Rees R & Sydney Jones have offered a bursary to the children of members of the RTBU in the Central and Northern Division who attend university. The bursary is able to provide the successful applicant with funds to assist in the cost of studying fulltime at university.

The amount of the bursary will be up to $6,000 awarded by a board of trustees. The trustees will consider applications from the Central and Northern divisions of the RTBU.

Rees Jones RTBU Bursary

Applications are now open for the

2010

Women’s voices must be heardby wendy Hodgson, women’s Campaign Committee

The beginning of 2010 has been very hectic for the RTBU Women’s Campaign Committee. The National Divisional Meeting

for Tram and Bus in Sydney made the Women’s Campaign Committee realise that we need to keep chipping away at our concerns. We can’t expect change immediately but it will come if we keep applying ourselves. It was also great to meet our sisters from the other states to discuss their issues and how to approach solutions.The Union celebrated International

Women’s Day with a morning tea at Toowong Depot once again expressing the importance of women in the workplace. We recognised our achievements as well as identifying issues for the future.International Women’s Day was

also celebrated with a public rally on Saturday 6 March 2010. The rally began at King George Square and then the participants marched to Musgrave Park in South Brisbane. Thank you to all those who attended.

Another issue in the forefront of our minds has been Paid Maternity Leave. The Federal Government is planning to introduce this towards the end of this year. All working parents should have

Paid Maternity Leave as an option. Fortunately some unions make this a priority in their enterprise bargaining discussions. We should all be working towards getting better agreements for those having babies. The Women’s Campaign Committee would also like to see agreements providing parental leave for partners and those having to go down the surrogacy path.As women, our voice must be

heard against the privatization of Queensland’s assets. We must let Ms Bligh know that no matter what, privatization is not the answer to Queensland’s financial problems. If monetary drains such as desalination plants were not instigated then privatization would not be needed. Do we need to go down the path of Victoria, Tasmania and other states

to realise that this does not work? Voice your opposition at every given opportunity and keep an eye out for the next rally in your area. This affects all our jobs so keep the pressure on.All women need to be aware of

changes in their workplace as some of these changes are starting to erode the gains we have made in the fight for equality.

If monetary drains such as desalination plants were not instigated then privatization would not be needed. Do we need to go down the path of Victoria, Tasmania and other states to realise that this does not work?

Authorised by Les Moffit, Interim Chairman, Australian Rail, Tram and Bus Industry Union of Employees, Queensland Branch.

STATE RTBUQ ELECTIONS

The Australian Rail, Tram and Bus Industry Union of Employees, Queensland Branch (RTBUQ) will be making an application for exemption from an election.

The RTBUQ is making this application as the same persons who fill the positions in the federal counterpart body (the Australian Rail, Tram and Bus Industry Union, Queensland Branch) will fill those positions in the state body.

The members of the RTBUQ will not be detrimentally affected as members will have already voted, or been given the opportunity to vote, in the election of the federal counterpart body.

Therefore there will be no election for the RTBUQ for the positions comprising the Branch Council or the Branch Executive.


enterprise negotiations continueThe main preoccupation for the RBTU Bus Division at present is the enterprise negotiations with Brisbane City Council (BCC) over the new Union Certified Agreement.Negotiations are occurring in 2 parts.

Firstly there are combined negotiations with all the unions and council representatives. These negotiations are for all Council employees and have a combined log of claims. Secondly, there is a separate negotiation with Brisbane Transport and the lead negotiator for BCC Ian Maynard. This deals with issues that are specific to Brisbane Transport.At this stage, Council is proposing to

change sick leave to an accumulative scheme. With a proposal for a 130 day bank for existing workers plus 15 days cumulative for each year of service. For new employees there will be 15 days cumulative. All employees except casuals will be covered by salary continuance insurance of up to 12 months with no exemptions except alcohol and drugs.We have raised the issue of annual

leave paying the average weekly earnings and also exclusive of public holidays.As this issue has been prepared prior

to the enterprise agreement being finalised, we can only report that proposals to remove the fifth week of annual leave have been rejected and along the line of members position that no trade-off of conditions for

wage rises, the Union has opposed the removal of sign-off time, walking time, and penalties associated with time-off in lieu TOIL.Council has moved to support the

existing career path.The agreement has proposed

arrangements to deal with contracting out of some council functions, in transport we are seeking a commitment to a new date on the no contracting out of existing services clause in schedule 10.In schedule 10, proposals to

eliminate the taking of blue spots away from drivers who have a sick day.

A proposal for drivers to perform supervisory work at special events is close to agreement.The Union has put some

productivity proposals to Council and hopes that this will improve the pay offer by Brisbane City Council.It is our belief that our members

are served better by a flat monetary amount in their main agreement as a minimum payment instead of a percentage. There will be meetings to discuss the enterprise agreement and it is the members right to determine the position of the Union on this agreement.

Bus division Report from Bus division secretary david matters and organiser mick layt

(l-r): wendy Hodgson, Jack simmons, peter neville, Keith simmons david matters, Andrew Gilmour,Ben elkington, Ken Blake, darryl lewis. Bus division secretary david matters is awarded a plaque commemorating 20 years as AtmoeA secretary and subsequently with the ptu and rtBu in the Bus division secretary (1988-2008).

RTBU Bus Division Secretary David Matters thanked drivers who took the opportunity to mark his 20 years performing in the role. In fact, it’s now 21 years at Bus

Division Secretary, so it is timely to reflect on the changes in that time.David has seen off 5 Lord

Mayors, 6 Premiers and 8 Transport Ministers some of whom may have cause to believe that the RTBU contributed to their downfall.“We would say it was their

anti-worker positions that brought their demise,” David said.During the last 21 years the

Union has maintained the leading edge of wages and conditions in the bus industry in Queensland when

the world has attempted to remove many rights and conditions from workers.

Main achievements in this time have been:• establishment of the Union picnic• end of the use of overtime to make up the public holiday guarantee

• wages increased to Sydney levels• improvements in uniforms• microwaves in meal rooms and depots

• air-conditioning in buses, meal rooms and depots

• ending of the kangaroo courts• ending of a day suspension for revenue shortages

• defeated several attempts to privatise buses and an attempt to corporatise.

david matters notches up 20 years with the union


anti-privatisation rallies

RTBU State Secretary Owen Doogan has renewed the Union's demand for the Queensland Government to drop its proposed asset sales, particularly the sell-off of QR.

The Union continues to hold rallies around the State to keep the pressure on Premier Anna Bligh and the Government.

Owen thanked RTBU members and delegates for their ongoing commitment and support.

"Members know their futures are at stake and they have been there when it counted to send a message to the Bligh Government," Owen said.

The Union has also recently launched a billboard campaign in regional areas.

"It's the members in regional areas who are at greatest threat from the first round of asset sales. So we want regional MPs to get the message and stand up for their constituents for a change.

"The Union will not give up. We will keep fighting on this issue because it's at the heart of everything this Union stands for," Owen said.


Northern district Reportfrom northern district organiser les moffitt


QR’S apprentice of the YearRTBU member Christian Webb is

employed as an apprentice at the Stuart Locomotive Depot in Townsville. Christian attended the Apprentice of the Year ceremony in Brisbane during November 2009 and was selected as the best Electro-technology Apprentice and QR’s Apprentice of the Year.More than 600 apprentices and

trainees were eligible for the awards and Christian was honoured for his work on a project to use sensitive paint to identify high resistive joints on braking and reverser contactors.Christian’s success can be accredited

to the highly-skilled trade workplace where he works as well as his dedication to learn the trade. He has also been nominated for the

Queensland Apprentice of the Year Award involving all industries which will be judged in June.

townsville travel centreLate last year the RTBU was

contacted by members working in the Townsville Travel Centre over concerns for their safety after a number of violent crimes in close proximity to their centre.The Union immediately contacted

QR Passenger Services Group management requesting urgent action to provide a safe workplace. After consultation with staff a

refurbishment plan for the Townsville Travel Centre was completed and alterations carried out to provide a safe workplace.Staff were also provided with one-

on-one training in armed hold up and security training, and the office now has its own action response plan.

aRG Local consultative committee meetingsIn February, ARG commenced

their first round of Local Consultative Committee (LCC) meetings over the North West Corridor. Meetings were carried out in Mount Isa, Cloncurry, Hughenden and Charters Towers with

the participation of local workplace representatives.The Northern District Organiser

attended each meeting and the company advised that there will be a two-level communication structure.The first level is to provide a forum

at local depots with management and staff. It will be conducted every two months.The second level brings the local

forums together in a peak consultative committee with senior management and represents the interests of parties across all the operations. It will be convened at quarterly intervals. The number of workplace representatives at the second-level meetings will be restricted to two from each depot.

traincrew agreementSince the introduction of the QR

Limted Traincrew Union Collective Workplace Agreement both local and state UNION representatives have been experiencing a huge challenge dealing with the many different interpretations being placed on most of the clauses in the agreement.The problem is that many of the

management team who were involved

with negotiating the agreement have moved on leaving the union to argue the intent of the agreement with a team of managers who were not involved at the crucial time of negotiations.The RTBU is consistently hearing

from management that they have paid for significant flexibilities in the workplace and that they will pursue these changes whatever it takes.The RTBU’s position is that we

know what the true intent is on all of the issues and will stand up and fight for the membership to ensure that management do not use this agreement to pursue their own agendas.

Infrastructure safety breachesThe RTBU has been representing

quite a number of Infrastructure employees who have been issued with a “show cause” letter because of safety breaches.In many cases we have been

successful with having the penalty reduced to a “final warning” but this is not always the outcome.Members need to take care and

not put production first when going about your daily tasks. Traditionally, Infrastructure employees have always prided themselves in getting on with the job using a commonsense approach to safety in the workplace.With the “separation of people

and plant procedure” and the “five trackside lifesaving rules” now in force it is paramount that workers carryout their work by abiding to these strict safety guidelines.The RTBU firmly believes that the

top-down approach to safety being used by QR, engaging the American consultancy DuPont, is not the way to improve safety. What we would like to see is

workers being consulted on how best to overhaul the system within the organisation, rather than decisions being made by senior management and consultants who pass the responsibilities onto the workers.

Apprentice of the Year Christian webb.


In December a function was held in Charters Towers to celebrate the retirement of three long term QR employees as well as the transfer of Locomotive Driver Scott Jesser to Jilalan after 13 years in Charters Towers. The retirees were former Pentland

Station Master Alan Ford – 38 years service, Locomotive Driver John (Toomey) Lestone – 37 years service and Locomotive Driver Frank Moore – 49 years service.Frank Moore kindly donated $150 to the

Union as a contribution to the Queensland Not for Sale campaign. The night was a great success with plenty of stories about old times and reminiscing about their time working on the railway.

Townsville RTBU member Barry Simpson has been with QR for 31 years and a delegate at South Yard since 1987.For Barry the biggest industrial issue for rail employees

right now is the Bligh Government’s proposed asset sales.“We believe the asset sales would ultimately mean the

closing down of all the maintenance sections,” Barry said. At South Yard that represents more than 200 jobs including boilermakers, carriage builders and painters.To make matters worse, this is not the first time Barry

has fought against the proposed sale of rail assets. In the early 1990s the Goss Government also planned to sell rail assets.“We fought them last time and it cost them government

when they lost the Mundingburra by-election in February 1996. It was the new National Party Government that backed down and stopped the sale,” Barry said.

The uncertainty over the future of QR is also having an impact on the day-to-day running of the workshops, according to Barry.“It’s the constant change all the time. Management

keep restructuring the way we do things. So no-one knows what’s going on. It goes from one extreme to another,” he said.The asset sales and mismanagement make the

delegate’s job very difficult, so Barry is taking a break for a while.Peter Sanderson is now acting in the job of delegate for

South Yard under Barry’s guidance.“He’s very keen and I needed a break,” Barry said.So he is back working as a painter for the time being.

Now all he wishes is that history will repeat the full cycle and the State Government will back down on asset sales.

Delegate profile

Barry Simpson

history repeats itself in proposed asset sales

Members honoured

(l-r): rtBu northern district organiser les moffitt, Alan Ford, John lestone, Frank moore and Charters towers rtBu sub Branch secretary patty pianta and kneeling is scott Jessor.

anti-privatisation rallyDelegates turned out in force to the

Brisbane anti-privatisation rally held on Tuesday 9 March. The RTBU will not give up on this battle. While it continues members with workplace issues are urged to contact their delegates as the first port of call.Members are reminded that the

majority of agreements expire in 2011. So it’s time to be thinking about the next log of claims.

Network train controller reviewsTwo reviews are underway for

Network Train Controllers (NTCs) looking at workloads and classifications.The workload review is being

conducted by Lloyds. The Union is expecting a presentation on their findings later this year. It’s looking as issues such as task creep, impact of extra trains and changes in safe working standards.The classification review is exploring:

• The NC stream for NTCs• Possession planning at Mayne• NTCs across the state• Area controllers across the state• Options of developing a new NC stream.

Win for toowoomba memberFollowing conciliation in the

Queensland Industrial Relations Commission, a Toowoomba member has retained his current wages

entitlements following an attempt by QR to change his employment conditions.QR had attempted to move the

day aggregate worker to the award which would have seen him suffer a considerable pay cut.In conciliation it was agreed that the

worker should be paid the same as his co-workers.

Workplace health and safetyThere is a push by QR to move

the onus on safety back onto the worker using the model developed by consultants DuPont. The RTBU

notes that QR’s commitment to safety reduced when it interferes with profit.

Special events traineesTraining has commenced for 16 new

part-time, reduced hours traincrew for QR Passenger at Mayne. The 8 drivers and 8 guards have been recruited for special events services.The Union has negotiated the same

wages and conditions as full-time traincrew. The trainees are full-time while in training. Their hours are still to be negotiated.

South divisionfrom district organisers Greg talbot, shayne Kummerfeld and ross schimke

Anti-privatisation rally


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from district organisers Greg talbot, shayne Kummerfeld and ross schimke

Proposed change to leave policiesQR has proposed a number of

“enhancements” to leave policies as part of the workplace agreements review.The RTBU has won the argument

on proposed changes which would have seen members forced to take long-service leave and annual leave. The Union’s position is that members must have the right to take their leave at a time of their own choosing.There is ongoing discussion about

situational leave which includes leave to give blood and SES leave. QR is proposing to remove situational leave altogether. The Union’s view is that this is a loss of conditions.The RTBU will continue to

advocate a maintenance of the current conditions set down in policy documents.

attempts to change medical categoriesQR has attempted to change

medical categories for Rollingstock Maintenance workers in QR Passenger.These workers are currently under

NTC guidelines category 3. QR wanted to move them to category 2 which make compliance considerably more difficult with compulsory tests including cholesterol, diabetes and eyesight.The RTBU is concerned any changes

to medical categories may be used to exit people out of the organisation.

Recruiting more delegates for city train Network StationsThe Union is actively looking for

more delegates for City Train Network Stations. Organiser Greg Talbot is working with members and delegates to build effective delegate structures and then try to fill all positions. He is starting with inner city then moving to the whole network.The aim is to bring new people in as

delegates and give them appropriate training and support. If you are interested, please contact Greg.

Go card job securityThe RTBU has written to QR

Passenger and the Minister for Transport seeking reassurances on job security for workers whose job security may be adversely affected by the Translink Go Card. The Union is seeking a meeting with the Minister to gain an assurance that there is no plan to reduce full-time equivalents and that all workers will be retained including permanent, fixed term and casual.

onboard Services updateThe RTBU has queried a QR

communiqué in December 2009 calling for all Onboard Services workers to by available for duty while on guaranteed time.QR demanded that employees

must be contactable during this time. Members raised concerns that this meant they would be required to literally sit by the phone during guaranteed time.After clarifying the issue with QR,

the Union has assured members that they do no need to sit by the phone during guaranteed time, however, they must accept any reasonable request to work.

translink’s Senior Network officersMeetings have been set down for

late March to discuss the introduction of Senior Network Officers and how they will interface with QR Transit Officers. The meetings will include QR Passenger management, RTBU officials and representatives, and Translink representatives.The meetings ill look at how the

Senior Network Officers will operate and their relationship to Transit Officers. The first 10 Senior Network Officers are currently being recruited and are expected to be in the field by the end of June. This will be followed by a review after 12 months.

Review of transit officer positionsQR Passenger management has

called for a review of Senior Transit Officers and Shift Supervisor positions with a view to combine the roles.Part of the process, which is expected

to take 3 months, with be to develop a new position description.RTBU delegates will keep members

informed of progress.


Join the March on

Labour DayMonday 3 May

charlie Broughton awarded associate membershipCharlie Broughton retired from QR

after 50 years on the job and most of those years were spent as a member of this Union.Charlie worked his way through the

ranks of QR from a Lad Porter in 1959 a Numbertaker in 1969 a Guard in 1981 and a Trainee Driver in 1996.Apart from that he then went on

to work for Network Access as an Interface Analyst.Charlie led the way for the RTBU

with his involvement as a delegate and was a main player for this Union with changes in the early 1990 to Q-Link.Charlie continues to advocate for a

faster North Coast railway line and as he always says, one day you will be able to get to Brisbane by train in 4 and a half hours.This man has always been

committed to the union movement and his retirement has not stopped that, he’s now joining the National Union of Retired Workers.The RTBU wishes Charlie and his

family all the best.

onboard staff meal entitlements fall shortRTBU onboard delegates are

attempting to gain the best entitlements for members who work our travel train services. While they have gained some good benefits they are still concerned with some aspects of the policy.QR Passenger LTD will only supply

2 bottles of water for members free of charge for shifts 8 hours and under and three for shifts over 8 hours. If members require any more than this they are required to purchase the bottles. They are then required to hang onto the receipt for the duration of the trip. You are also required to consume the water on the train and only if a bottle has been opened you can then take it off the train.One would also think that members

should be able to take advantage of all meals available and not just a small selection and be allowed to drink as much water as needed while on duty.Not sure, but it sounds to me that the

employer has some trust issues.

tutor freight operators get higher gradeThe RTBU negotiated a clause in the

Coal and Freight Logistics Agreement that required the employer to pay a higher grade when members perform training duties outside of tuition and mentoring of new employees. Subsequently we approached Coal

and Freight Management who advised they are willing to pay higher grade from OS3.3 to OS 5.3 when the Tutor Freight Operators deliver training packages.As one member said, “This is not

chicken feed as it is nearly a $6 an hour increase in our wages. It is significant as QR is likely to use us more in this capacity.”Several of our members have begun

the back-pay claim as they are entitled to this from the day of certification of the agreement.

Freight workers take a stand against working above 8 hours at ordinary ratesMackay Q- Link workers were

provided with a draft roster that provided for one 10 hour day, three 8 hour days and a 6 hour day, all to be paid at ordinary rates.It had no voting process with it and it

seemed that members were about to be hoodwinked.Our active members there took a

stand and all signed a letter advising the employer that they do not agree to work above 8 hours at ordinary rates. This is consistent with the requirements in the Coal and Freight Logistics agreement, which requires the employer to have agreement of the workers prior to any implementation.Subsequently management advised

that they would not progress with this rostering style.Why would workers agree to have

overtime taken off them, when the rosters did not provide for any increase in leisure time for them?The concept for working above 8

hours at ordinary rates is to increase the quality time off for employees and not to solely reduce costs to the business.

New RtBU delegates get trained upA dozen new delegates recently

received stage one delegate training in Rockhampton to skill them up on the role of an RTBU delegate. The training was over two days and gave them much needed skills that they can use in the workplace.Delegate Tahnee Chippendale said,

“The training was great and certainly taught me a few basic principles in how to deal with issues in the workplace”. “I also realised that the role of a

delegate is extremely important to the RTBU as we the members are the Union and it is our resolve and strength that makes us UNION,” she said.

central district Reportfrom rtBu Central district organiser Craig Allen

"This man has always been committed to the union movement and his retirement has not

stopped that."

Craig Allen presents associate membership to Charlie Broughton.


Working for nothing, not likelyMembers in Infrastructure were told

that there will be no over-time paid and if anyone does work over-time they would have to take time in lieu.We immediately approached the

employer over this issue. It would seem that they know nothing of it and have not issued instruction to the effect.Maybe a case of they tried to

get away with it, but a Unionised workplace would not let it happen.For our members employed in

the central west locations including Infrastructure and Freight, there are no provisions in the Civils or Freight Union Collective Agreements that provide for taking time in lieu.

Western Infrastructure workers forced to wear glovesIt’s hot. It’s humid. We wear long

pants. We wear long sleeved shirts. And now they tell us we have to wear gloves pretty much all the time. This was the cry from members working in the Central West.Members are not opposed to the idea

of wearing gloves, but only in situations where it would be deemed necessary.It would also seem that management

has implemented the glove policy without any risk assessments. Management has determined that there need to be several types of gloves that the members will have to wear and carry with them at all times. It's another case of implement now and look at the risks later.

central Queensland is not for saleOver 500 members of the

communities attended rallies in Mackay, Gladstone and Rockhampton during the first week of March.The anger is still real in these

communities. This was shown by the large turnout at all these rallies.The key message from the

community is simple, “Listen to your constituents and we do not want our profitable assets sold.”I am extremely happy with the

activity of our membership with this campaign, the letter writing, the calls to the local members of parliament, the turning up at rallies and the general support for the way we have been campaigning has been great.Any normal government would have

already listened to the people, this one is just suicidal.

Newlands control board shift to RockhamptonDue to the buckling pressure of

increased workloads and all the associated negativities that come with this, members in the Mackay control centre have reluctantly allowed Coal Network to move the operation of this board to Rockhampton.The relocation of this board does

not reduce the staff at this location and will provide some financial benefits to members. At the same time Network advises that this will mean a better work environment for members.

Delegate Laurence Peppin was extremely critical of the way Network had allowed a situation to develop where members regretted going to work and at some times felt sick about the thought of attending for duty.Our members in the Mackay control

centre still face an uncertain future with the strong potential that this centre may close in the future with all work being performed out of the Rockhampton centre. Our delegate has reinforced to

Network Management that now is the time for them to come to the party and offer some better terms if they wish them to remain in Mackay with the uncertain future looming.

traincrew delegates step up to the plateWith over 30 unresolved issues

arising from the Traincrew Union Collective agreement our traincrew delegates Mal Williams, Driver Bluff and Keith Heinemann, Driver Jilalan have been in battle with management in Coal North and Coal South to ensure the integrity of the new agreement. To date this has been a tough ask for

these delegates but they are making some in roads with the employer and are determined to make sure the employer does not abuse the conditions of the agreement.


Leaving work?retiring? medicaL separation?voLuntary earLy retirement? resigning?

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There can be no doubt that moving dangerous goods off trucks and onto rail will make our roads safer to drive on.Yet time and time again, we hear the

argument that dangerous goods have to travel by road because it is more ‘efficient’. Meanwhile the use of rail is dismissed as being merely ‘populist’.But how efficient is it when a

petrol tanker collides head-on with a car? How efficient is it when a truck carrying chemicals rolls over on a highway and blocks traffic for hours?The argument of economic

rationalists who think dangerous goods belong on our roads relies on the assumption that money is more important than people.Over the past few months the RTBU

National Office has been calling for different approach.We think that community safety

is more important than valueless economic efficiency.We think that road safety should

come before corporate profits and we

think there is room for a common sense compromise on the way dangerous goods are transported.The RTBU has argued for an

amendment to Dangerous Goods Acts so rail freight is the first option for the transportation of dangerous goods - such as petrol and chemicals.Where rail is not a practical

alternative, the second option should be to transport dangerous goods by road.Obviously, rail is not suitable for

many trips because the reach of the rail network is more limited than the reach of the road network.Trucks will always play a central role

in moving freight around the country. Simply replacing trucks with trains is not an option.But for journeys along key freight

corridors, and for interstate trips, rail does provide a viable alternative. What we need is a coordinated national strategy for the movement of freight where trains and trucks work together

to deliver the best outcome for the nation.At the moment, strategic decisions

about freight transport are taken in the boardrooms of companies, by people who are not accountable to the community.The recent decision by Shell to move

the transport of fuel from rail to road transport is a prime example of what happens when the Government leaves these decisions to market forces.Each train averaged 18 to 24 wagons.

Each wagon carried 64,000 litres of patrol or diesel. One of these trains is the equivalent of up to 150 trucks.The decision by Shell, which it has

stated was made on purely commercial grounds, will add to the frustration of motorists travelling all around Australia, and increase the risk of serious accidents.Experts have forecast that the total

amount of freight moving around Australia will double in 20 years, and triple by 2050. That will have a

Rail transport – the safer alternativeBy Bob nanva, national office

profound effect on our entire transport network.The rail industry simply has to

become more competitive if it is to shoulder some of this burden. But a big part of that will require Governments to invest in better rail infrastructure. The benefits will come from safer

roads, fewer greenhouse gas emissions, and less traffic congestion.

The argument of economic rationalists who think dangerous goods belong on our roads relies on the assumption that money is more important than people.

changed your details?Whether you’ve changed job, moved house, switched bank account or mobile number, then the RTBU needs to know. If your details have changed, please fill out this form and send it to the RTBU, Level 1, 457 Upper Edward Street, Brisbane QLD 4000.

SuRnAMe . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

GIven nAMeS . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .DAte OF BIRth . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

ADDReSS . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . POStcODe . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

PhOne nuMBeRS hOMe . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . WORk . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

MOBILe . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

eMAIL hOMe . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

WORk . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

eMPLOyeR QueenSLAnD RAIL BRISBAne cIty cOuncIL PAcIFIc nAtIOnAL PnQ

tRAnSFIeLD QRX OtheR . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

OccuPAtIOn . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

WORk LOcAtIOn (unIt, SectIOn & LOcAtIOn) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

tyPe OF eMPLOyMent PeRMAnent PARt tIMe cASuAL FIXeD teRM tRAInee

APPRentIce yeAR . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

MethOD OF PAyMent cReDIt cARD DIRect DeBIt cheQue/MOney ORDeR PAyROLL DeDuctIOn

SIGnAtuRe . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

Who’s who at the RtBUQueenslanD state pResiDentBruce Mackie

QueenslanD state secRetaRyOwen Doogan

inDustRial OfficeRpeter allen

aDDResslevel 1, 457 upper edward stBrisbane Qld 4000phOne 3839 4988fax 3832 1278Rail phOne 81 2423Rail fax 81 3504eMail [email protected] www.rtbu.com.au

BRanch ORGaniseRs (southern)shayne Kummerfeld, Bruce Mackie, Ross schimke & Greg talboteMail [email protected] [email protected] [email protected] [email protected] 3831 5450Rail phOne 81 2950

BRanch ORGaniseR (central)craig allenphOne 4922 5844fax 4922 4523Rail phOne 83 1793Rail fax 83 1560eMail [email protected]

BRanch ORGaniseR (northern)les MoffitteMail [email protected] 4779 9655fax 4779 9677Rail phOne 84 1620Rail fax 84 1670

Bus DivisiOnsecRetaRy David Matters ORGaniseR Mick layteMail [email protected] 0419 769 129eMail [email protected] 0419 769 130phOne 3831 8350fax 3832 5335

the aDvOcateeDitOR Owen DooganDeputy eDitOR peter alleneMail [email protected]


Documents

the journal of the Australian Rail Tram and Bus Union ... · by PN Coal Queensland which has resulted in more and more PN workers joining the Union. PN Coal has 81 employees in the