CMET EA Update
Another meeting was held this week in Canberra to replace the Greenfield Agreement. The RTBU and ETU are seeking a wide range of inclusions and enhancements and the company has now given a response to many of our claims.
There are some issues still under negotiation and of course some claims were rejected, but the following has been agreed to-
- Increase from 24 to 48 hours the notice required for rostering changes.
- Increase from 2 to 4 weeks for rosters being displayed (this also means leave will need to be submitted 4 weeks in advance where possible).
- Split Shift allowance of 25% of hourly rate for all time in the break between shift portions.
- Increasing the mentor allowance to 10% and including paperwork as paid time for the purposes of paying the allowance.
- Two 15 min rest breaks for CSO’s. One rostered and one to be taken at the worker’s discretion.
- ‘Transfer of employment’ clause will be removed.
- Occupational First Aid allowance of $20 per week to be introduced.
- All grades have been improved in value and a 4th grade has been added above so senior workers have the opportunity for more dollars per hour.
The following policies will be incorporated or referenced in the EA to lock them in place;
a. Emergency/Community leave for RFS, SES, ADF personnel.
b. Bereavement leave.
c. 10 Days paid Domestic Violence Leave (this will be a lawful requirement soon.
Eventually, we want to have common conditions across all Light Rail operations no matter if it’s Newcastle, Sydney or Canberra. This Agreement will be an important step in lifting up the current working conditions of members at CMET and will set us up well for future negotiations.
A special shout out to Dominic Nugent who has stepped into the delegate role at CMET for drivers. In the short time he’s been acting in that capacity he’s shown his ability and dedication to fighting for the best result for his colleagues.
It’s only when workers are united that we can achieve the best results!