We’re bargaining in good faith

We had our 9th meeting this week and used this to continue going through the claims the unions have presented to us.

Bargaining in good faith means coming to each bargaining meeting fully prepared and with a genuine interest in working towards an agreement.

An important thing to know is that the NSW Government Wages Policy we operate under means that the cost of all claims must be cost neutral. What that means is that they must be offset by ‘employee-related cost savings’ that is, trade-offs in terms of wages or conditions.

Change and this EA

A new EA is a really important part of NSW TrainLink’s future, but it’s really not going to change your day to day job.

Rather, the big difference that you’ll notice if the new EA proposed by NSW TrainLink is voted for, is an increase in your pay.

The other thing to remember is that this is not the first time we have had our own EA. Our last two EAs, since NSW TrainLink was established, have been separate agreements. This is the first time we have run bargaining separately from Sydney Trains.

Both organisations provide transport services in NSW, but our workforces are very different. We service different customers and communities, our roles are different and we sit in different divisions of Transport.

Our workforce deserves to be considered in its own right, to have our own voice heard.

The right to make up your own mind

We have been notified by the RBTU that there are plans for protected industrial action coinciding with students returning to classrooms and vaccination rates expected to reach 80% in NSW.

We know this is also an unusual time for many people in our community as they start to venture further afield and we should all expect and plan to hear comments or criticism from our customers.

Please respect the rights of your colleagues to make up their own mind about protected industrial action. The decision to take or not take protected industrial action is one of personal choice available to union members.

Keeping up to date, asking a question

Go to: www.stayinformed.com.au/nswtrainlink-ea or if you have a specific EA-related question you can:

• email the EA Team at NSWTLEA@transport.nsw.gov.au
• look at the Q&As
• ask your leader who may have the answer or if it’s more complicated, can pass it to us for a response.

Remember, our future is up to us.