Bus Express

Friday July 6, 2018

Dear members,

This fortnight we celebrated an important win by changing the STA's position on driver training. This is a massive win for driver and commuter safety.

The 3 month trial of outsourcing of driver training to external providers has resulted in a myriad of issues that our trainee drivers have come to know all too well. So we took this issue to the NSW Industrial Relations Commission on Friday 22nd of June 2018. In a win for our trainee drivers, State Transit has now agreed with the union’s position which is outlined below.

In other news, we welcomed the NSW Opposition's budget response last week, where Luke Foley vowed to end all privatisation under a Labor State Government. The ruthless privatisation scheme that this Liberal Government is pursuing is destroying our public services and eroding the transport network that our commuters so desperately rely on.

We need to stop selling off our public assets to the highest foreign bidder, and start investing in them.

We saw another Constance-fail in the news this week, where it was revealed Constance hadn't read a report that had $63 million at stake. Constance demonstrates once again, that he is clearly incapable of being a Minister for Transport.

We trust you'll enjoy this edition of Bus Express.

In Solidarity,

Chris Preston and Dave Woollams

Driver training: union has massive safety win

In a massive win for safety, the RTBU has successfully fought to get State Transit to change its position on driver training.

The STA is nearing the end of a three month trial of outsourcing its driver training to an external provider – a trial which the RTBU has had serious concerns about. STA was proposing an extension of the trial.

The RTBU took the issue to the NSW Industrial Relations Commission on Friday 22nd of June 2018. State Transit has now agreed with the union’s position, and the agreement from STA is as follows:

State Transit can now confirm that STA has considered its position on the matter of the current new employee training/induction process.

I wish to advise that we accept the position you outlined in your recent letter as follows:

That STA will bring the licensing component of the process back in the house – that is we will cease to use the external provider;
That we will extend the current trial to all 8 depots immediately; the current 4 depots will continue to use the private provider for the next 2 weeks then will cease.
That we will immediately commence a restructure/review of the Bus Operator Trainer structure.

We will continue to work with BOTs to refine the trial induction process.

RTBU Tram and Bus Division Secretary, Chris Preston, said the outcome is a great win for the union.

“We put the issue into dispute following concerns from members about the training trial. Training is paramount, especially in our industry, so it’s important it’s done properly.

“It’s fantastic that STA has now listened to our concerns and are taking actions to address the situation.”

“The RTBU would like to thank all the BOTs for their input into this dispute.”

Click here to download the bulletin.

Opposition vows to end ‘destructive privatisation scam’

The NSW Opposition has committed to putting an end to the privatisation of public assets, like our transport systems, saying the Liberal Government’s privatisation plans have delivered nothing but a rise in the cost of living for working families.

In his Budget Reply speech this week, Opposition Leader Like Foley said Labor would end the ‘destructive privatisation scam’ and guaranteed that under Labor there would be no privatisation of public transport services, electricity, water or hospitals.

Luke Foley also vowed to hold a judicial inquiry into WestConnex and the CBD light rail to end “blowouts and secrecy” surrounding the projects.

Click here to read the ALP’s media release

Click here to see some coverage of the Budget Reply speech in the Newcastle Herald

Transport Minister Andrew Constance too busy to read report that is holding light rail payment

Every week incompetent Constance shows up in the news for one reason or another. Constance's latest fail was that he was apparently too busy to do his job. Maybe if he stopped selling off our public assets to his mates in the big end of town, he'd have some time to read a report about $63 million dollars that is at stake. Check out the article by Annabel Hennessy in the Daily Telegraph here, or read the excerpt below.

"DESPITE the $63 million at stake, NSW Transport Minister Andrew Constance says he’s drowning in so much paperwork he hasn’t read a secret light-rail flood study the City of Sydney is using to withhold a payment for the project.

Yesterday The Daily Telegraph revealed the council had refused to hand over the $63m payment, which was due last December, after a series of spats with Transport For NSW.

A major sticking point for the City of Sydney was a concern that Transport had not managed flood risk, with flood prone zones including parts of George St in the CBD and Centennial Park." Check out the full article by Annabel Hennessy in the Daily Telegraph here.

Region 6 members, have you updated your details?

The RTBU requires you to fill out new union payroll & traffic fund deduction forms due to the change of employer in region 6. Please click here to download the forms from Bus Express.