Depot visits in the East

Following the depot visits to Region 9 this week about the upcoming transfer to Transdev/John Holland, below is a brief summary of what was said and some of the questions asked. We understand that there are a lot of people who are not able to attend these meetings, specifically PM drivers.

• This is not a negotiation for conditions in the way you would normally (and we will in the future) negotiate an Agreement. We are working with the company to drag and drop our Award into the Federal system.
• The plan is for an in-principle agreement to be reached and for members to then return their Letters of Offer. It is anticipated this will happen next week.
• Members will be sent SMS and email notification to return Letters of Offer.
• The company has returned the document we sent them, and we need to go through it.
• An informal vote will be held before transition to gauge member views on that document. If members are happy then that is what the company will put forward for a formal vote after they take over. Any issues members have can be addressed between these two votes.
• Because having to take on the Award conditions comes at a cost, members must make a decision about what is more important, pushing for immediate pay rises and risking a two-tiered workplace or maintaining conditions and avoiding a 2-tiered workplace. In the Northern beaches, members chose to accept the Wage Price Index (WPI) for pay rises. This is what the company is guaranteed to be paid to them by TfNSW to pass on to workers. This was the cost paid to preserve conditions held in the STA Award.
• Future Superannuation increases will not come out of future pay rises as STA was doing. It will be paid on top on any pay rise.
• Home and Duty passes last for 3.5 years after transition. Family point to point passes and Ghan tickets will be available for 3 years.
• Because it’s a transfer of business, ALL your current entitlements are going across. Whatever Sick Leave, Annual Leave or Long Service Leave you have goes with you.
• Disciplinary records do NOT transfer. Be aware though, that the same people who were your previous supervisors will probably still be there.
• The only reason to cash out any leave (as has been suggested by STA) is if YOU WANT TO. STA wants as little liability to go to the new company as possible, that’s the only reason they’re suggesting it.
• The company is open to bringing back the Holiday Book with possible changes to make it more fair.
• The 2-year job guarantee only provides that you will HAVE a job for 2 years (except for misconduct etc). It means no one will be made redundant but has no bearing on your working conditions.
• If you don’t sign across you will be declared an ‘Excess Employee’ by TfNSW after Transdev takes over. There is a policy that explains what happens after that which can be found here.
• It is highly unlikely that Transdev are looking to backtrack from the roadmap we have both agreed to. While it’s always possible, the company has spent a lot of money to get to this point and has factored in the cost of our Award. If they wanted to screw us over, there are far cheaper ways to do so. They want their new business to work from day one and the union has told them this is the way to make that happen.
• Things will certainly change moving forward, just as they’ve changed for other workers who now work for other companies, but the conditions in your Award will be safeguarded.
• As requested by members, Transdev have been asked to hold depot meetings for staff to directly as questions to them. They are looking at availability to do this and are supportive of the idea.