Keolis Downer Norther Beaches Update – Conversion of STA leave from days to hours

Your union representatives met earlier this week with KDNB to discuss KDNB’s understanding of  converting members Annual Leave/Long Service Leave that they had with STA from days into hours.  

KDNB was of the understanding that each day was only worth 7 hours and 36 minutes but paid at 8  hours. Therefore, if you had 10 days transferring across from STA, KDNB would convert that into only  76 hours instead of 80 hours. 

Your union explained to KDNB that those calculations were incorrect, and each A/L or LSL day should  be calculated as 1 day = 8 hours. After further investigation, KDNB have confirmed that they will now  convert all STA LSL and A/L days as 8 hours per day. E.g., 10 STA days will be converted into 80 hours. 

PLEASE NOTE: That if you have any issues with your pay, your first port of call needs to be your payroll  officer (or in the interim till the end of March, the HR personnel located in each depot) and if you are  unhappy with their explanations, then raise the matter with your local delegate who will assist you  from that point. 

Mandatory Vaccination 

KDNB senior management advised the RTBU they will not be making mandatory vaccination  compulsory for those staff who have transferred across from STA unless there is a public health order  that says so. 

In stating the above, it has been brought to the union’s attention that certain managers within KDNB  have taken it upon themselves to vigorously pursue members concerning their Covid-19 vaccination  status. 

PLEASE NOTE: There is currently no public health order that states you need to provide your  vaccination status to your employer, so you are quite within your right to advise the manager who is  asking about your vaccination status, that you do not wish to disclose it. If the manager persists,  please advise them that you wish for your local delegate to be present before you continue with any  conversation.

Annual Leave Loading

As raised in our last bulletin KDNB put forward a proposal that any Annual Leave Loading should be  paid whenever Annual Leave is taken, irrespective of when it is accrued. This would apply to any  Annual Leave accumulated after 01 January 2021. Any Annual Leave accumulated prior to this date  has already had the leave loading component paid. 

Considering the feedback from the members and delegates, the RTBU have agreed with this proposal  from KDNB.  

Please feel free to discuss any of these matters mentioned above with your local delegates who have  been instrumental in having KDNB get a better understanding of how things operationally work. 

Enterprise Agreement Approved

Congratulations to all members and delegates for their perseverance and hard work! Working  together, the union roadmap has delivered the State Transit Award into the Federal system as an  Enterprise Agreement.