Abt Wilderness Railway employees join RTBU

By Andrew Thomas

The steam train at Queenstown station

In Tasmania, the Abt Wilderness Railway is another example. Supported by public funding, a steam locomotive hauls passenger carriages between Queenstown and Strachan on the west coast.
Using a rack railway system, the train traverses a number of steep gradients. There are the beautiful forest, and the historic mining activities. The narrow gauge track previously linked the Mt. Lyell mines to the port of Strachan.

The major part of the operation is based in Queenstown - a coffee shop and tourist shop, locomotive and carriage maintenance, per way maintenance and the operations employees such as the locomotive crew and on train stewards. At present there are some 17 persons employed at Queenstown. This is a real boost to employment which has suffered seriously from the wind down of mining.

Through the good work of Rex Neil from the Tasmanian Branch, the RTBU has significant membership in the Abt Wilderness Railway. Together with Rex, the members have worked to ensure that their views are heard and that they receive decent wages and conditions.

Dealing with the management has not been easy. The company attempted to introduce a non-union collective agreement with its contents determined solely by the company. The company made it clear that if it can avoid the RTBU it will. However, it underestimated the determination of the RTBU members at Queenstown who resisted the company's position to dictate the agenda. For example, despite long working days, virtually all of them attend meetings arranged in the evening and actively participate.

The RTBU prepared a minimum rates award and it is currently before Federal Industrial Relations Commission. There have been a number of hearings in the Commission regarding the award and an enterprise agreement. These hearings and the the members' determination to have a union-based enterprise agreement have caused the company to enter into negotiations for a union-based agreement.

At the time of writing, these negotiations are ongoing. The experience in Queenstown demonstrates that employees uniting into the union and showing a determination under pressure to pursue a decent outcome can actually advance their position. The member at Queenstown can be proud of what they have achieved so far. But if their will and determination to date is any indication then the signs are positive.

The RTBU already covers the Heritage Railway and 3801 Ltd, and will seek coverage and membership in all railways - no matter how big or small.