ARG (ASR SA&NT) EBA RTBU NEWS BULLETIN NO. 7

NEGOTIATIONS TO BE WRAPPED UP ON 10th MARCH, 2005

The RTBU negotiating Team consisting of delegates Peter Coffey (Port Augusta), Dave Yelland (Adelaide), Sandy Roberts (Thevenard), Bill O'Reilly (Port Lincoln), Reg Harris (Whyalla) together with Branch and National Officials meet with the company's reps in Adelaide on 27, 28 January and 8, 9 February in Adelaide. The negotiations focussed on 62 issues that the RTBU team put on the table following the forwarding of the latest draft by the employer.

The proposed EBA is not the "skin and bones" EBA that was represented by the ASR 2001 EBA. The new one is lengthy and detailed and is 72 pages long consisting of 46 clauses and 4 appendices. It is detailed because it reflects the issues that were raised by delegates following consultations with the members.

The four days of negotiations have hammered out all but a few remaining issues. There have been legal issues centring on the Electrolux High Court case about what can be in EBA's. These can be successfully addressed.

Progress on the Major Issues:

Classification Structures:the team want a career structure and recognised training which results in nationally recognised qualifications. There will be 2 broad streams, locomotive and Terminals/Yard (ex power shunter). In the loco stream will consist of trainee loco driver, advanced trainee, Asst loco driver, terminal driver (for certain Whyalla operations and elsewhere for health failure etc) and locomotive driver. (All current employees would be translated into the new structure to ensure there was no loss of pay). Structured training and ensuring management devote time and effort is an important issue in these negotiations.

Relay Working:

Payment for crew van time and breaks for crew before returning to work (time-off between relay trips) have been negotiated successfully. After a lengthy relay job we wanted to ensure members have the opportunity for full 2 nights in bed and are rostered no earlier than 0700 hours after the second night. The big ticket item outstanding is ARG's wants to include provision for the possibility of 3 people i.e. DOO relay working to Darwin and return. For our money for rail safety, OHS and fatigue reasons this is not on. This is the major sticking point. A one-person crew on the world's longest rail journey through the most inhospitable country plainly doesn't make sense.

Transfers between Depots and Incidental Expenses:

ARG wanted to put a threshold of 5 or more consecutive days away from the home location before employees could access incidental expenses. Our negotiating went into overdrive on this one and a heap of effort went into discussing temporary transfers, the proposed new rostered sub depot working, impact on family life and the extra daily costs incurred by workers when away from their home location. The ARG reworking of the provision would have cost members up to $56.80 per week. Our team was quietly confident the employer would take notice of our arguments.

DOO and Remote Control Allowances:

After several proposal and approaches were negotiated. The DOO allowance mainline and /or shunt will result in an allowance of 9% from commencement of the agreement, 11% from 1/1/06 and 13% from 1/1/07, the Remote Control Allowance will increase from 9-13% from the commencement of the agreement, 15% from 1/1/06 and then to 17% from 1/1/07. A further 3% allowance for the conditions of the work and extra responsibilities associated with the Whyalla "hot metal "work has been negotiated with an in total allowance of 16% from the commencement of the agreement, 18% from 1/1/06 and 20% from 1/1/07.

Similar to WA the agreement will include a sliding scale of increased payments for driver only/remote operations based on the depots total hours. For 25% of total depot work an achievement payment of 2%, for 45% a 3% payment and for 65% a 4% payment.

Long Service leave:

This condition of employment more than any other symbolises how different this EBA will be compared to the previous one. The agreement will provide provision for the time engaged as a casual employee to be treated as continuous service provided there is no employee initiated breaks in availability of more than 5 weeks at a time. Significant numbers of members will now be eligible for long service leave in accordance with the SA Long service Leave Act. Some workers still haven't made up their minds as to the advantages of moving from casual to full time employment status. You will need to make up your mind, as the offer will close when the agreement is signed and begins to operate.

Train Crew Rostering principles:

Having a framework for rostering for loco crews is an absolute must. Because current practices in ARG/ASR are out of the dark ages the negotiating team has put a lot of time into this issue. After all it's the difference between getting some quality time off and for getting some time for our families and social life.

A 9-page appendix covering Train Crew Rostering Principles has been developed. For some depots, especially wheat depots, where grain movement can depend on irregular shipping services, we are proposing a new form of rostering called "Blank Line Rostering" which operates in NSW for wheat and coal depots.

In order for delegates to understand the new proposals in more detail the RTBU team and ARG will have a one-day seminar next week on 9 March to address this form of rostering. The RTBU has arranged for our senior delegate from the NSW Hunter Valley coal depot to be present at the meeting in order to assist getting a better understanding of this form of rostering.

The rostering principles allows for reps to be selected by their fellow workers. Provision is made for depot guidelines at each depot and the establishment of guide rosters and operational rosters. The rostering principles will introduce rostered time off. Six months form the date of the certification of the agreement an average of 2 rostered breaks for each fortnight of a roster cycle will be included into the roster at the time of posting. This will be increased to 3 by 12 months from the date of the certification of the agreement. Other rostering principles include guide roster considerations, posting of guide rosters, rostering of shifts, request days, operational roster considerations, shift changes and clearing of, and returning from annual leave. The success of the new rostering principles will depend on member's involvement - it will be in your hands at the local level.

The final day of negotiations between your negotiating Team and management will take place in Adelaide on 10 March. These negotiations have been lengthy and detailed and will significantly improve member's wages and conditions. It will be up to members to discuss the proposals and a ballot will occur. The RTBU has put significant resources into this EBA and delegates have really applied themselves on your behalf. For those few employees' not as yet financial members of the union it is time to get on board.

If you would like to receive future additions of the eba newsletter please forward your e-mail address to theteam@artbiusant.org.au