Latest News Sydney Trains

Following the Fair Work Commission (FWC) arbitration decision on 10 March 2023 and the FWC issued orders on 3 April 2023, we can confirm the wage increase operative from 1 May 2023, to be applied from the first pay period commencing after that date, will be paid on these dates:

• For Train Crew and Station Staff: The pay increase of 4.03% plus super (inclusive of the additional 1% increase operative from 1 May 2023) will be paid in the pay run for pay day 12 May 2023.
• For EMB, Operations & RC Graded Employees: The pay increase of 4.03% plus super (inclusive of the additional 1% increase operative from 1 May 2023) will be paid in the pay run for pay day 19 May 2023.

Transport update on payslip delay for Drivers and Guards and Station Staff this week

Transport Payroll have advised us the payslips for the additional 1% backpay being paid in the 28 April 2023 pay run will be delayed until Friday 28 April 2023. However, we would like to assure you that there will be no delay in receiving your payment.

If you are a Driver, Guard or Station Staff and haven’t received your payslip by the Friday please contact the TSS Service Centre on 133 148.

What to do if you have questions

Please check the FAQs on Stay Informed as we will add to them as new questions come in.

If you have any questions related to payroll or payslips, please direct your questions to mypay@transport.nsw.gov.au and for all other Enterprise Agreement questions contact STEnterpriseAgreement@transport.nsw.gov.au

Following the Fair Work Commission (FWC) arbitration decision on 10 March 2023, the FWC has now issued the orders which confirm when you will receive the additional wage increase backdated to 1 May 2022 in your pay.

We can now confirm this is when you will be paid:

• For EMB, Operations & RC Graded Employees: The payment of the additional 1% increase backdated to 1 May 2022 will be paid in the pay run for pay day 21 April 2023.
• For Train Crew and Station Staff: The payment of the additional 1% increase backdated to 1 May 2022 will be paid in the pay run for pay day 28 April 2023.
  • For Train Crew it should be noted that the additional increase applies to the rate before the cab and security allowance were loaded into the rate. The rates for these allowances will be adjusted to apply the 1% to them.

What to do if you have questions

Please continue to check the FAQs on Stay Informed as we will add to them as new questions come in.

If you have any questions related to payroll or payslips, please direct your questions to mypay@transport.nsw.gov.au and for all other Enterprise Agreement questions contact STEnterpriseAgreement@transport.nsw.gov.au

The Fair Work Commission (FWC) has made its decision on the two outstanding matters relating to the Sydney Trains and NSW TrainLink 2022 Enterprise Agreement (EA) which were the subject of arbitration.

The FWC arbitration decision for employees covered under the EA is as follows:

Wage and Allowance increases

Employees will receive an additional 1% increase backdated to 1 May 2022 and an additional 1% increase from 1 May 2023.

This means that under the EA, employees receive 3.53% plus super, backdated to 1 May 2022 and 4.03% plus super, from 1 May 2023.

Higher standards cleaning allowance

Customer Service Attendants and On-Board Services employees will not receive a higher standards cleaning allowance.

What happens next

Our teams are working hard to ensure payroll processes are in place and more information will be shared next week.

If you have any questions please email STEnterpriseagreement@transport.nsw.gov.au

To keep you informed, there are a few Enterprise Agreement matters that we want to bring to your attention.

Federal Court action

Sydney Trains, NSW TrainLink and the Australian Rail, Tram and Bus Industry Union (RTBU) have agreed to discontinue both sets of proceedings in the Federal Court in relation to the Opal gate matter.

Our focus is on the implementation of the new Agreement and to deliver you the benefits under the new Enterprise Agreement to which you are entitled.

One-off payment on your pay slip

You will have noticed the one-off payment of $4,500 was coded as ‘backpay’ on your pay slip. This is because it was the most relevant code available in the payroll system. Please note though this is your one-off payment.

Tax treatment of the one-off payment

The Australian Taxation Office (ATO) treats the one-off payment of $4,500 payment as gross income. The tax applied to your gross income is based on your individual circumstances and will vary from person to person.

Please consult with your financial adviser for tax advice applying to your situation. The ATO website has detailed information on how tax is applied in different scenarios.

It’s important to note, the amount of tax you pay can also vary based on factors such as:

• your gross income any pre-tax deductions – such as salary sacrificed or workplace giving deductions
• any study or training support loans
• any tax-free thresholds or tax offsets
• the Medicare Levy

The following example has been developed to illustrate how taxation is calculated based on an individual’s circumstances:

John is paid fortnightly and, has both pre-tax and post-tax deductions and a study loan.

• John’s Gross Earnings this pay is $6,500.
• John has a Pre-Tax Deduction of $20 per pay.
• John’s Taxable Gross for this pay is $6,480.
• This makes John’s Year to Date Earnings $110,500
• A Year-to-Date salary of $110,500 puts John in the 4th tax bracket ($120,001 - 180,000) – see Resident Tax Rates 2022-23.
• Marginal Tax is calculated as $1,954, plus:

• John has a study loan
• An additional 10% is owed based on $110,500 (i.e. 10% of $6,480 = $648) – see 2022-23 Repayment Income Thresholds and Rates

• Therefore, John’s total Tax paid for this pay is $1954 + $648 = $2602

This information has been added to the FAQs on Stay Informed.

If you have any questions, please refer to the FAQs or email STenterpriseagreement@transport.nsw.gov.au.

The Enterprise Agreement (EA) came into effect on Friday 17 February 2023 and there are many changes to be made, some of which require complex payroll and system updates.

Our people are working hard to implement these changes and deliver your entitlements, with priority on getting the one-off payment of $4,500 processed in the pay run on either 17 February 2023 for Train Crew or 24 February 2023 for employees in other classifications. The FAQs on Stay Informed have been updated to explain the tax treatment.

In order to do everything we can to bring forward your payments and after discussion with unions, we have confirmed payments will be made as follows:

• For Train Crew: the payment of the 2.53% pay rise plus super (noting the super increase has already been paid since 1 July 2022) and backpay of 2.53% from 1 May 2022 will be paid on 3 March 2023. Roll-up of Cab Allowance (for Drivers) and Cab and Security Allowance (for Guards) into base pay will be effective from 17 February 2023 and will be paid in the pay of 3 March 2023.
• For Sydney Trains employees in all other classifications: the payment of the 2.53% pay rise plus super (noting the super increase has already been paid since 1 July 2022) and backpay of 2.53% from 1 May 2022 will be paid in the pay of 10 March 2023.

Thank you to the payroll, IT and other teams for making this possible.

Updated processes and procedures

Our main Transport Portal pages have been updated to display these updated procedures that come into effect today:

• The Sydney Trains Prescription Safety Eyewear Procedure now reflects that Sydney Trains will pay the cost of prescription safety eyewear where it is assessed as required to perform duties, up to the reasonable benefit limit of $1,000 for lenses and frames combined.
• An updated Sydney Trains Medical Retirement Process (previously called TOMA), which provides guidance where an employee is found to be medically unfit to perform the inherent requirements of their substantive role and is retired on medical advice. The Procedure has been updated with a greater focus on redeployment opportunities.

Another key commitment of the Enterprise Agreement is the Fair Decision Framework (FDF), which also applies from today, in all new safety investigations and disciplinary and performance conduct matters, supporting the assessment of the actions of individuals involved in a safety incident or disciplinary and performance conduct matter.

Your Safety team and People and Culture Business Partners are available to provide support. Visit the Fair Decision Framework SharePoint page for more information.

We’re pleased to share that this afternoon the Fair Work Commission (FWC) approved our Sydney Trains and NSW TrainLink Enterprise Agreement 2022, which we submitted for approval earlier this week.

The Agreement will take effect from 17 February 2023.

As you know, the arbitration hearing in relation to the outstanding matters took place this week. We’ll keep you updated on the progress once we hear more from the FWC about this.