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This week saw our 8th bargaining meeting, with more than 30 hours of bargaining so far.

We had asked the union to discuss the remainder of their log of claims, but unfortunately, they weren’t ready to do so. We are currently a quarter of a way through their log.

Whilst the unions are an important part of the bargaining process, it is our employees who ultimately vote on the EA, and the current EA is holding us back.

Continuing the way we have is not an option anymore. That’s why we are working so hard to achieve a new EA that allows us to provide you with fairer pay and conditions and a safer, more efficient transport system.

Protected industrial action this week

This has been a challenging week for our people and our customers that has been handled really well by our people.

We care about supporting you through this and know that decisions about taking action that will impact your salary are much harder for some people to make than others.

Please be respectful of other’s decisions and circumstances and recognise the unfairness of burdening individuals or teams with actions that may impact on some far more than others.

We are all in this together.

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 if you have a question about the EA or you can pass it to us for a response.

It’s our time to reflect, before we move on

Every enterprise agreement negotiation creates uncertainty, and the 2021 EA also provides an opportunity to reflect on where we’ve come from and where we need to go.

Here at NSW TrainLink we have a proud history of delivering customers safely, supporting essential workers, and keeping families and friends in touch with each other.

Our people have every right to feel proud of this history and the work that we do. More recently, every one of us has had to adapt to changing circumstances at work and in our personal lives due to the pandemic, and we should give ourselves credit for that.

We are more resilient as a team as a result.

We need to be realistic as well. Our current EA is holding us back.

When our people are not empowered to make changes to the way we serve our customers, we are not in control of our future and so our future is uncertain.

The weeks ahead

Protected industrial action is lawful and a part of the bargaining process, but it needs to take place within a framework of understanding and care for each other including respecting other’s views.

Please be patient and kind and treat your colleagues and leaders with the respect we all deserve….as a team we are here to support you though this period of uncertainty.

We will continue to provide more information in the weeks ahead about what’s in the EA for you but one thing is clear: a new EA is needed to secure our future.

Remember, our future is up to us.

Regards

Dale

Our meeting was virtual again this week and it centred on the benefits we are proposing for station and regional on board staff.

We’re excited to share more details of our EA proposal for station and regional on-board staff that we promised you after the last bargaining meeting.

We’re hearing loud and clear that our people are proud of the work that they do and the services we provide to our customers who rely on us. But the uncertainty of recent times and COVID has been difficult and stressful for many.

A word about our bargaining commitment

Bargaining is about getting a better outcome for our people. Better equity and opportunity, increased stability and sustainability across our business.

Protected industrial action is a normal part of bargaining and employees who are union members are entitled to participate in lawful industrial action when notified correctly.

But the process is not easy. It can be difficult and stressful for our people, our leaders and our customers. It’s ok for you to form your own views and to decide whether or not you feel comfortable sharing your views with others.

This uncertainty is temporary and is just part of the process. We are a resilient and caring business that deserves a louder voice. An Enterprise Agreement that is designed by us and for us is the best way to bridge our past and a stronger future.

We have an opportunity to create stability for our workforce and lock in a three year period of certainty through the new NSW TrainLink EA. The benefits to station and regional on-board staff include:

• a higher base salary
• the opportunity to go up a pay level each year until you reach the top of the band in five years
• rosters that support your needs and those of our customers
• increased job opportunities
• the same pay and condition regardless of where you are based (note there is no proposal to remove home stations).

We’ve put together some factsheets explaining what the proposal will mean to conditions and base pay. These documents are at the links below:

• Onboard staff – PA & SPA
• Onboard staff – PSS
• Intercity station staff – Central
• Intercity station staff – Other locations
• Station staff - Regional

We encourage you to spend time looking through this information if it is relevant to you. There is a lot of information in the factsheets so if you have any questions please:

• email the EA Team at NSWTLEA@transport.nsw.gov.au
• visit the EA page
• ask your leader who can discuss your questions.

Remember, our future is up to us.

As you know, we made a commitment to provide you with detailed information this week about the EA proposal. We are excited to share those details that we expect you have been waiting for, but given the extra pressure that the changing COVID environment has created on our time this week, this important communication has been delayed until next week.

In the meantime, here is a sample of what’s to come.

Our future is up to us.

If you have any questions please email the EA Team, visit the EA page or speak with your leader.

We held our fortnightly bargaining meeting again today.

Whilst we’d normally give you an update today, we’re changing our approach and will bring you more information in lots of detail next week. So please keep your eye out for your EA update.

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
• ask your leader who may have the answer or if it’s more complicated, can pass to us for a response.

We had our 5th bargaining meeting today and given the dynamic COVID situation, we have continued to talk at the ‘virtual’ table.

So what do we have on the table for a brighter future for TrainLink…?

Higher base pay for station and regional on-board staff

We have continued to talk about our proposal for station and regional on-board staff, including:

• Offering higher base pay through a classification structure like RC grades
  • Station and on-board roles matched to the equivalent of an RC2, with a current starting salary of about $65k
  • PSS matched to an equivalent of RC3, with a starting salary currently at about $77k.
• Keeping allowances and penalties that are important to you
• Overtime paid after 10 hours per shift, and an unpaid meal break of 30 minutes. This does not mean that your shift will become 10 hours.

Proposed term of the EA

We proposed a three year term for this enterprise agreement to bring stability for our people.

Not shying away from the hard conversations

• We confirmed our position that the health and safety of our people continues to be our priority;
• We’ve listened to the unions on what they’d like to see change in the EA for the Mariyung and other new fleets; and
• Talked about the checks and balances we have under NSW Government wages policy around what we can offer.

Protected industrial ballot underway

Ballots for protected industrial action are happening now, and that’s a legal process that’s available during bargaining.

Remember, the premise that the unions put forward to hold the ballots was that they want a single enterprise agreement covering both rail agencies. For all of us it remains being about having a louder NSW TrainLink voice - having an enterprise agreement designed by us, for us and that meets our needs now and into the future.

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
• ask your leader who may have the answer or if it’s more complicated, can pass to us for a response

More information on your future, our proposal for station staff and regional on-boarders

Bringing to you our regular update on bargaining meetings – they’re still on Microsoft Teams, and we are really disappointed not to have been visiting Albury which was our plan.

However, we have had more detailed discussions on….

Station teams and regional on-boarders – your future, our proposal

In our new Enterprise Agreement, we would like to recognise and reward the role that our station and regional on-boarder staff do every day for customers. That’s why we’re proposing to create a new section of the EA with pay and conditions that are more favourable for you:

What we’re proposing to change

• A higher base pay for station and regional on-board staff through a classification structure
• Year on year pay progression through structured pay grades
• Your capabilities recognised and rewarded
• A standard unpaid meal break of 30 minutes
• Overtime paid after 10 hours per shift (if you work longer than this)

What’s not proposed to change

• Home stations
• Shift penalty and weekend penalty rate
• Held away from home and travel/incidentals allowances
• Overtime penalty rate

We are not proposing to apply these changes to salaried station staff, such as Duty Managers.

We know you’ll have questions. Keep sending them through to us and we’d be happy to answer them.

The Deed

The deed came up in today’s meeting and we confirmed that it is not part of our proposal. That is, we have no proposal to maintain the deed when we commence a new enterprise agreement.

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
• ask your leader who may have the answer or if it’s more complicated, can pass to us for a response

Today we had our third NSW TrainLink Enterprise Agreement 2021 bargaining meeting, held on Microsoft Teams.

The Covid situation has undoubtedly made us change our plans around bargaining in the regions for the time being. What hasn’t changed is our passion to keep moving, keep bargaining, and keep sharing info as you’re telling us an enterprise agreement for our people by our people remains so important.

Station staff and regional on-boarders – your future, our proposal

Why talk about station staff and on-boarders first? Because it is our customer facing frontliners who bring their own local expertise to create an outstanding and familiar experience for all our customers.

NSW TrainLink connects communities across the state and we know our people are the experts when it comes to knowing and servicing their own local community. This is why it is important that we see an agreement that supports this vision, for the future growth of NSW.

Our proposal for your future

Includes for our people who work on stations and on-board:

• Regardless of your location, same salary and conditions for similar roles
• A total salary package that’s attractive and simpler
• Increased job opportunities based on your capabilities
• Certainty around your pay increase structure
• Rosters that support your needs and the needs of our customers
• A career in customer service

We know that’s a lot to take in. So digest, ask questions, and we’ll bring you more information in the coming weeks.

The unions again raised their ‘threshold’ claim for us to bargain jointly with Sydney Trains, for a single enterprise agreement covering both rail agencies.

For all of us it remains being about having a bigger NSW TrainLink voice - having an enterprise agreement designed by us that meets our needs now and into the future.

Keeping up to date

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

Today we had our second NSW TrainLink Enterprise Agreement 2021 bargaining meeting, held on Microsoft Teams so everyone could stay safe!

It’s still our plan to bargain in the regions so we’ll need to be agile and adjust our plans as we need to for COVID.

What were you doing in 2005?

Strange question? Well it was back in 2005 that the objectives of our current Enterprise Agreement were drafted. Sixteen years on, a lot has changed.

We think it’s time to review them.

We shared with our independent employee bargaining reps and the unions what we’d like the enterprise agreement to deliver for our people:

• Stability – confidence in your future
• Equity and opportunity – better alignment of conditions and access to opportunities for progression, local jobs for local people
• Sustainability – safe and healthy workplaces, business growth in line with regional investment, customer service at the centre

Sound reasonable?

The unions again raised their ‘threshold’ claim for us to bargain jointly with Sydney Trains, for a single enterprise agreement covering both rail agencies. If we do this we can’t tailor the agreement to our needs.

For all of us it’s about having a bigger NSW TrainLink voice - having an enterprise agreement designed by us that meets our needs now and into the future.

Like more information?

To keep up to date go to: www.stayinformed.com.au/nswtrainlink-ea or if you have a specific EA-related question please email the EA Team.

Today was an important day as we kicked off our first NSW TrainLink Enterprise Agreement 2021 bargaining meeting as planned. We needed to adapt to the COVID situation to ensure as many people could participate as possible and safely held the meeting on TEAMS with a core group gathered in person in a COVID safe environment in our Newcastle offices.

Who attended?

The meeting was attended in person and online with representatives from across the state, including the Combined Rail Union, our bargaining team led by Jasmin Streimer, and our independent Employee Bargaining Representatives who are people from within our business who have chosen to represent themselves during the negotiations.

For this negotiation we have had more independent Employee Bargaining Reps than ever before put their hands up and we are so happy and proud to welcome them to the process because it shows how passionate our people feel about creating an enterprise agreement for our people, by our people.

What was discussed?

There was robust discussion with the Combined Rail Union again expressing their position for us to bargain jointly with Sydney Trains, for a single enterprise agreement covering both rail agencies. They also demanded that all meetings be held in Sydney, in person and without the involvement of independent Employee Bargaining Reps. The Combined Rail Union also claimed that bargaining meetings could not be held effectively online.

As all of us at NSW TrainLink know we are a regional business and we don’t operate solely in Sydney. Because of this we feel strongly that it’s suitable and appropriate to be in the places where our people live and work. Our preference is always to hold meetings in person however with the current COVID situation we need to be able to adapt. Since the outbreak of the pandemic holding meetings online has become a normal way of doing business and organisations around the world have successfully held important meetings and made decisions effectively. This includes meetings between Prime Ministers, parliaments and major global organisations public and private.

We heard from the independent Employee Bargaining Reps about why they want to be involved and what’s important for them to achieve in the negotiations. It was great to hear them have their say. What was clear is that they want to represent themselves so they can contribute to getting the best result not just for themselves but more generally for NSW TrainLink and fellow employees. Unfortunately the Combined Rail Union decided to leave the meeting before hearing from the independent Employee Bargaining Reps.

Why a separate agreement, bargained independently is so important for NSW TrainLink?

Our team reinforced why it’s so important for our people of NSW TrainLink to have a separate agreement and how previous joint bargaining with Sydney Trains didn’t always give our people the loudest voice.

Most importantly this is what you, our people have said you want. You’ve said you want an agreement that is tailored to working in regional NSW.

Our aim has always been and will continue to be to deliver an agreement that delivers the best outcomes for our people and our business.

Next steps

Our next meeting is planned to be held in Sydney on 8th July and via TEAMS for those that are unable to attend in person.

We will continue to monitor the health situation as we approach each meeting and when we need to, put in place the measures to make sure everyone stays COVIDSafe.