Member Update: October 22, 2021

Dear Members,

We're closing off the second week of eased restrictions, with more measures having been wound back on Monday.

We'd love to see you all enjoying these incremental freedoms and reuniting with loved ones you were' able to visit during the lockdown, and with this we'd also like to remind you to please keep safe and continue following those health measure that are still in place - masks, social distancing, and so on.

While case numbers in NSW are dwindling, the virus is still among us and the risk of contracting it is still possible.

With this comes concern for staff and public safety. On Wednesday, Transport for NSW announced its consideration to mandate COVID vaccinations for the staff across all its agencies. Understandably, the RTBU has heard concerns from members regarding this. We'd like all members to be aware of the information we have available about this, and the steps we're taking to ensure the union is aligned with the official health advice. You can read the full explainer in this edition of the Express, as well as the Branch website.

The health restrictions are changing in phases and we're grateful that many of you have been diligently rolling with the punches. You know the drill very will by now, but please remember to pay attention to any exposure sites you may have attended personally in order to continue keeping yourselves, your loved ones, your colleagues, and the public safe and healthy.

If you need an extra pick-me-up, we highly encourage you to seek support if you need it - in a loved one, in a mate, or in one of the services available to you.

We also have EA negotiations for Transdev, Region 6, Region 8 and Region 7 happening simultaneously. All negotiations are at various stages and all are experiencing different levels of pushback from employers. Region 8 has thankfully been quite a smooth process, with members voting on a draft EA proposal pending official results next week.

Region 6 continues to serve a challenge, and we have resorted to lodging a joint protected action application with the TWU, which will be voted on by members over 1-3 November.

We hope that you continue to stay safe and well.

COVID Update - Mandatory Vaccinations

Since Transport for NSW announced on Wednesday 13 October that it was considering mandating COVID vaccinations for the staff of all its agencies, we have had some understandably concerned and anxious members. Although it is TfNSW that made the announcement this week, going forward more and more employers will make similar moves, so the following is for all RTBU members.

Make no mistake, we have arrived at this situation because of the failure of both the Federal and State Governments in relation to vaccine rollouts, quarantine systems, virus containment, and allowing the spread of misinformation to flourish. Any negative impact on members because of vaccine mandates is on their heads.

The Health Advice and a safe workplace

The RTBU recognises and accepts the health advice that vaccination is a key part of responding to the safety issues created by the COVID-19 pandemic. All workers are entitled to a safe workplace and have any risk to their health and safety reduced as far as possible.

What is also, essential to creating a safe workplace is long-term workplace testing systems which involves a variety of onsite testing systems, such as saliva swab testing, Rapid Antigen Testing (RAT) and PCR Surveillance testing, combined with other control measures such as mask wearing, thorough cleaning regimes, physical distancing and the use of QR Codes.

The Federal Government’s poor handling of the vaccine rollout and the politicisation of communication at a state level have negatively impacted people’s perception of the vaccination process and the science backing it. Misrepresentation of the science by a variety of political leaders has facilitated a transfer of mistrust of the government onto the science itself.

Since the beginning of the pandemic, your union has worked hard to keep us all safe by advocating for onsite testing and access to priority vaccination for essential workers. We have also lobbied and achieved in many cases protections for vulnerable workers and special leave provisions. We continue to be actively involved in implementing specific work, health, and safety controls, and organising members. This work continues and we will continue it together. Remember, it was our Bus Drivers last year that first raised the issue of customers needing to wear masks for the safety others and our Sydney Trains cleaner Delegates and HSRs who took a stand against the reckless indifference to their safety by management in March 2020.

Here to support and represent as always

Where any member is treated unfairly, the RTBU will intervene to assist. The pandemic has not changed this. Where a member has been treated unfairly, we offer industrial advice and assistance particular to their case. When it comes to vaccinations, members with medical contraindications (you can download the form here), members who are unable to access a vaccination, and members whose individual circumstances make vaccination difficult should contact us at covid@rtbu-nsw.asn.au.

Many members have asked us about legal options in response to the mandate on vaccines. We have commissioned the preparation of legal advice regarding any decision by an employer to require a vaccination to come to work. We anticipate that this legal advice will be finalised soon and we will provide members with that advice in full.

We also continue to monitor the legal proceedings underway in various jurisdictions across NSW and interstate regarding the mandating of a COVID vaccine across a range of industries by major employers and state governments.

To be clear, if a decision is made to mandate vaccines and this affects a member’s employment, we believe the employer has a responsibility to look after that worker and treat them fairly. This includes assistance to find alternative employment and other financial assistance. The union is here to hold the employer to account for our members.

Beware of scams

Some members are rightly feeling vulnerable at this time, and we must remember that there are always people out there trying to take advantage of people at low points.

We are aware there is a scam circulating amongst some members regarding COVID-19 representation, promising a range of things. Like the scam text messages we have all been receiving where you are asked to “click on a link” for a bogus parcel delivery or a bogus voicemail, this scam is designed to take your money. We encourage members to exercise caution and not lose money to this scam. Your job is too important for you to be scammed out of it. The RTBU is here to offer advice and represent you in your industrial matters and you should get in touch at covid@rtbu-nsw.asn.au.

We are a union of close to 15,000 members and we make our decisions together. Our industrial democracy is part of who we are and is the foundation on which we exercise our power. That means from time to time there may be individuals in our union who have not had their expectations met. To those members, please feel free to submit a complaint to covid@rtbu-nsw.asn.au and we will respond to you personally.

Pyrmont Depot: Transdev's Proposal

Discussions with Transdev are continuing since the last meeting.

Transdev have put forward a proposed solution to the Committee, which the RTBU will be rigorously analysing. The Committee will reconvene on Monday 25 October and respond to Transdev's proposal.

Yesterday the RTBU also lodged an application with the Fair Work Commission to take further protected action. Members should be ready to VOTE YES for these additional action and remain steadfast as we work towards successful bargaining with Transdev.

Members will be updated as negotiations progress.

Region 6 EA Bargaining Update

This week the RTBU finally received a written response to our Log of Claims, many weeks after it was provided. This is after they provided a draft EA (which doesn’t say ‘Draft’ anywhere), before they had received ANY Log of Claims. I’m unsure how you can say you’ve bargained if you put out a draft before hearing what the other side wants.

Now that TSA are trying to get a vote across the line, they want you to forget the way they have treated workers over the last 3 years. They are now trying to sound like the neighbour that helps your mum with her groceries instead of the bloke that’s been throwing bricks through your window every night for 3 years.

TSA have scheduled a vote from November 1st to 3rd and are trying to convince workers that this is the best they can do. Without listening to what you wanted or considering what you had to say; this is the best they can do. Sealink made $37.8 million in profit last year but the best they can do is take MORE money out of your pocket and demand MORE of your time without reasonable compensation.

All your hard work is going to be rewarded with more of exactly what we’ve been fighting- an unfair workplace where workers are just a cost that needs to be reduced.

It’s NOT the best they can do, it’s the best they WANT to do. The FAQ and Blink posts they put out have been full of half truths and spin. The negotiation process doesn’t stop because a proposal is rejected, that’s when it properly starts! The only thing that this company is going to understand is the pain caused by negative publicity and service disruption.

There’s no more industry allowance to lose. This is sustained co-ordinated legal industrial action.

And it’s not going to stop. We’ll drag this company kicking and screaming to the table just as we did before. This is the fight for the future and they can’t beat us, the only way we lose is if we surrender. It’s time to stand strong and united.

The TSA EA vote will take place over 1-3 November.

The RTBU/TWU Protected Action ballot will cover 28 October- 8 November (weekdays only).

VOTE NO TO THE TRANSIT SYSTEMS EA!

VOTE YES TO THE UNION PROTECTED ACTION!

Region 8 Draft EA vote

In contrast to the battleground in Region 6, Region 8 shows how big a difference it can make depending on who your employer is.

Keolis Downer have so far kept to the Memorandum of Understanding signed with the RTBU many months ago.

Today members on the Northern beaches in Region 8 voted on a draft EA proposal. While a bit unusual, this was done for several reasons.

To avoid a two-tiered workforce
To maintain our current conditions
To give workers confidence of their conditions going forward

Feedback from members has been overwhelmingly positive so far, but we’ll have an official result Monday. As long as the company puts forward the same document that was voted on today as an EA to vote on after privatisation, the union will have achieved what members said mattered most to them- a single workplace and keeping their conditions.

Region 7, the way forward

Next week we’ll be meeting with the Busways owner and management to outline the RTBU approach to the situation they’ve created.

We’ll follow this up at depots and communicate to members how we plan to combat the Greenfield Agreement and move forward with negotiations. There is a way to avoid a two-tiered workplace but it’s going to come through hard fighting and determination.

Sadly, Busways operates on the Transit Systems business model and not the Keolis Downer. We’ll be able to get what we want but it’s going to be a fight to get there. We CAN avoid a two-tiered workforce and preserve our conditions if we stand unite and fight together!

A bulletin and depot visits will follow next week.

TransportNOW: Latest edition

The latest edition of the RTBU National Office’s magazine, TransportNOW is now available.

Click here to read the latest from the National Office, including the appointment of the RTBU’s first female President, an interview with a gold medal wining TrackSafe ambassador, and see some of the pictures from the Sydney and NSW Trains protect industrial action!

In case you missed it: Special Notice to RTBU Members – Australian Rail, Tram and Bus Industry Union Recall Elections 2021

Information has been received from the Australian Electoral Commission (AEC) regarding the RTBU elections for NSW Branch positions not filled in the RTBU Election for 2018.

Nominations, which must be in writing and comply with the organisation’s registered rules, may be made at any time from 09.00am (AEDT) on Friday, 29th October 2021. Nominations close at 17.00pm (AEDT) on Friday, 19th November 2021.

Read the full update on the Branch website.

Vaccination Reminder

Bus drivers, due to their working environment, are at particular risk. Members are encouraged to sign up for the appropriate vaccination for your circumstances ASAP. The sooner you’re protected, the sooner your family is. Members who for health reasons are eligible for priority vaccination are encouraged to make an appointment. Vaccinated employees with health risks are considered safe to attend work. Employees not yet vaccinated who have health issues should approach their staff supervisors or line managers to discuss what options are available.

If the Pfizer vaccine is suitable for you, the STA have designated appointments available for you to get vaccinated. Contact your local manager for more information.

Please stay safe and stay vigilant. Bring any issues or concerns to the attention of your local delegate, including any hot spots where you see consistent non-compliance of mask wearing by passengers on buses or at bus stops.

Thanks for your essential work during a time of crisis.

In solidarity,

David Babineau and Daniel Jaggers