Dear members,

It's been a week of ups and downs when it comes to this pandemic. Thankfully the situation in Victoria has improved with only 6 cases today and 11 in NSW of which only 6 were locally acquired. The situation seems to be getting close to how it was previously and there may be more eased restrictions yet.

However, it hasn't all been positive. The Branch's main objective this week has been continuing to campaign for masks on public transport and we've seen a significant call following a COVID-19 case on board a replacement rail bus from Central to Strathfield on October 4 around midnight, with all passengers now considered close contacts. This is only one in a slew of public transport incident alerts as more and more people return to work. The current situation is not acceptable and your union has not given up.

Although we were able to successfully get face masks for our drivers, there is still work to be done. This Government needs to be held accountable for the safety and wellbeing of public sector workers who have been at the forefront of this crisis every single day. We are pushing for TfNSW to clarify instructions to bus operators about what to do to avoid overcrowding. It can be difficult for members and we want to ensure that their duties are clear.

In some good news, to thank our wonderful members, we will be providing you with $40.00 eftpos cards which will be distributed to delegates by the end of next week. These are in lieu of movie tickets which would have been distributed around April this year. We have added in a little extra as we are so extremely proud of your work and resilience during these particularly testing times.

In more news, this week outdoor dining and outdoor music performance restrictions were eased as the NSW Government allowed one patron for every two square metres in outdoor areas at hospitality venues. 500 people will also be able to attend outdoor seated music performances and rehearsals, as long as they adhere to the four square meter rule and everyone is seated. We encourage you to remain positive and stay safe.

Media Release: Union backs calls for mandatory masks on public transport

The Rail, Tram and Bus Union (RTBU) NSW has today joined in NSW Labor’s call for masks to be made mandatory on public transport when physical distancing is not possible, as well as calling for Covid marshals to be employed across the network to assist with public compliance.

RTBU NSW Secretary Alex Claassens says the slow uptake of mask wearing on public transport demonstrates the need for clear and decisive Government messaging on safety measures.

“The slow uptake of mask wearing on transport proves that these safety measures cannot simply be left to public goodwill,” says Mr Claassens.

“Physical distancing isn’t always possible on public transport, especially with more people returning to their offices for work. Making mask wearing mandatory for commuters is a simple, logical step to improve the safety of everyone on public transport.

“Evidently, the NSW Government needs to introduce Covid marshals on our trains, buses and trams to help enforce health regulations. Now is not the time to be removing staff from our public transport network, when its regulation is so crucial to slowing the spread of COVID-19.

“The Government has been dropping the ball on transport for many years, axing jobs and outsourcing operations to private companies whose first priority will always be profit, not people.

“Now we see the danger of privatising essential services like transport, when the public’s health and safety is at stake. The Government must step up put the public first in this crisis by laying down firm regulations and proper enforcement measures.”

Click here to read more on Tram and Bus Express.

Transdev master rosters

Recently the union discovered that Transdev has had members working from 2 home depots which is contrary to the EA which has a provision of only 1 home depot. The union raised the issue with management and effective from Monday, October the 19th, all Authorised Officers and Customer Service Officers will be based out of the Pyrmont depot.

The union has re-iterated to the company that there is flexibility for employees to commence work at a location outside of their home depot, but this cannot be shown in a master roster. A master roster is a roster that shows all known work, start and finish time for each shift and rostered days off applicable to a home depot. To enable members to sign on at another location, this can only be shown in a working roster which is a day to day roster with a 28 day visibility.

We would like to thank everyone involved in this process and will keep you updated on any developments.

In the media

The fight against bus privatisation continues as the public protests against the NSW Government's ridiculous plans to sell off our public buses. This will mean cut routes, longer travel times and lower quality of service for commuters. Your union is still involved in the public fight with a news article today in the Manly Daily.

Divisional Secretary David Babineau slammed the changes to the northern Sydney network ahead of privatisation, talking about how this was a complete betrayal of the community and the drivers working so hard.

This is an unending battle and commuters are finally starting to realise the very real threat of privatisation.

Click here to see all of our media features on Tram and Bus Express.

COVID-19: FAQs

We are constantly updating the COVID-19 frequently asked questions section of the website, so please make sure you head there and have a look. If you still have questions, please don't hesitate to contact your local delegate or the Division office at nswbus@rtbu-nsw.asn.au. 

Thanks for your essential work during a time of crisis.

Once again, stay safe.

In solidarity, 

David Babineau and Daniel Jaggers