Member Update: October 28 2022

Dear Members,

It's been another big week for us all.

Out in Region 7, Busways presented the Union and roster committee delegates with a new roster. Upon evaluating the proposition, the Union found Busways failed to place any consideration for work-life balance and has put these rosters in dispute. You can read more about this below.

In Region 6 a bargaining meeting was held today, members can expect a bulletin on Monday next week about progress.

In addition to this, we’re still waiting on a draft EA from CMET. Once we get this we’ll be able to share with members the details.

On another note, last week, we referred to developments in Region 9 instead of Region 8. Apologies to members for this mistake. This has now been fixed in this week's edition of the Tram and Bus Express.

Regarding the Wickham Tram EA negotiations, the Union reached out to Keolis Downer Hunter last fortnight to begin negotiations to replace the existing Enterprise Agreement, which is set to kick off in early November. We will keep members posted with any new updates.

In other news, Peter Daniel has announced his retirement. Peter has been an exceptionally active member of the Union for 27 years, having stepped up to be a union delegate at Belmont depot for seven years. We wish him all the best as he enters this new chapter of his life.

Members, a reminder to everyone to send an email to the NSW Government calling on for an end to bus privatisation. We need to remind the government that privatisation was a failure. The more emails sent, the better the chance they listen. You can find more information below.

And once again, a big thank you to everyone who has contributed to the Go Fund Me page set up for the family of Jared Church. This support has been incredibly important to his wife and three children, who are now putting this to good use. Our thoughts are with Jared's family and workmates during this difficult time.

We hope that you continue to stay safe and well.

Region 7 Roster Dispute

Recently, Busways presented the delegates and roster committee members with proposed rosters due to commence on 12 December. After going through the rosters, it was very clear Busways had failed to make work life balance considerations.

The Union has put these rosters in dispute, based on the fact that it is not acceptable for members to be obligated to work four Saturdays per roster. We are hopeful that Busways will present a new set of rosters that will take into account the work life balance of workers. We will keep you informed on progress made on this.

Region 6 EA Update

In Region 6, we’re coming to a tipping point and it’s going to be up to members to make the call on which way we go. As we get more information on what a single EA would look like it’s becoming clear that to achieve a unified roster, RTBU members will have to make a choice about compromise.

We will be sending out a bulletin for members following a meeting scheduled for Monday and there will be an online poll next week. As always, it has to be the members who make the decision on our direction, and we will provide as much information as possible so it can be an informed decision.

Region 8 Audit

Last week's express mistakenly referred to the Region 8 update under the label of Region 9. Apologies to all members for this error!

Wickham Trams EA Update

The Union reached out to Keolis Downer Hunter last fortnight to begin negotiations to replace the existing Enterprise Agreement and the first meeting is planned to be held late October/early November. We will keep members posted through bulletins as we go through the negotiations.

In the meantime here is a reminder of the broad log of claims.

1. Keep all current entitlements and conditions in current EA

2. Seek real pay increase to reflect a living wage

3. Enhance flexibility within rosters to accomodate work/ life balance

4. Provision for KDH to reimburse medical costs for members associated with maintaining their employment

5. To include a consultation clause so members can have input into structural, policy and other changes Keolis Downer Hunter make that affect working conditions

6. To update the provisions of the enterprise agreement according to any changes in legislation

If you have any questions, please don't hesitate to reach out to your local delegate or the Tram and Bus Division office.

Retirement of Peter Daniel

Peter has been an active union member for close on 27 years. During this time Peter was also a union delegate at Belmont depot for 7 years. We would like to thank Pete for his continual support and tremendous contributions to the RTBU.

We would like to wish Peter a happy retirement and wish him all the best for the next chapter of his life.

Email the NSW Government to end Bus Privatisation

Last month, the NSW Legislative Assembly handed down a report recommending the Government end bus privatisation.

You can read the full report and its recommendation here.

We've known that bus privatisation doesn't work. No one knows this better than our members and commuters, who have both suffered.

That's why we've set up an action calling on the NSW Government to adopt the report's recommendations. You can add your name to our letter and help add pressure on the NSW Government to fix the mess they've made.

It'll only take a moment, and the more emails we send, the greater our chance of making bus privatisation an issue for the election and beyond.

Remembering Jared Church

Thank you to the members who have dug deep to contribute to the Go Fund Me Page we set up for Jared Church, who tragically passed away at age 37.

Jared had been a respected team member of the Hamilton depot and a friend to many. In the ten years he had been a member, he had never been in to see the union about any problems.

All funds will go towards supporting Jared's wife, Rebecca and their three kids during this difficult time.

For those of you who are interested in helping Rebecca financially, we have organised a Go Fund Me page. Please click on this link to go to that page.

Thank you again to members who have already donated - your support is much appreciated during this tough time.

Members, please remember that if you are struggling, support is always available. You can access support resources through the Black Dog Institute. Additionally, 24/7 support is available at Beyond Blue.

Union Elections Reminder

A reminder to members that union elections for National and NSW Branch positions for 2022 are fast approaching. All members are encouraged to cast a vote - this is the best way to make sure the future representatives have the best interests of members at heart. Casting a vote during the Union elections is an incredibly important part of strengthening the democratic process of our union.

The Attendance Ballot will open on the 17th November 2022 at 7:00am and close on the 17th November at 4:30pm.

The Postal Ballot closes on 12 December 2022, 5:00pm.

We urge all members to use their voices by voting in the upcoming elections.

In solidarity,

David Babineau and Daniel Jaggers