RTBU Industrial Action Ramps Up – New bans notified

Tonight, we are notifying management of a new suite of industrial action.

The purpose of this notification is two-fold. As members know, bargaining so far has been a struggle, as management continue to present at negotiations without any authority to agree to claims or any ability to progress our agreement. While those bargaining on behalf of the rail entities may be happy to tread water in the absence of accountability, your bargaining representatives are not.

This raft of new actions are designed to get the Government to pay our bargain the attention it deserves as well as forcing a genuine conversation about the Bankstown conversion – one that hits on the facts and isn’t manipulated by a distracting shiny new toy.

At the core of these actions is ensuring that trains continue to run on the Bankstown Line and it is not closed as planned to deliver the metro conversion.

Whilst we know that metro is the fad of the month, with the new City extension of the line being overwhelmingly welcomed by Sydney residents, we also know that the conversion of the Bankstown Line is a different beast.

Building new, dedicated tunnels or viaducts for driverless trains is one thing, but running driverless trains along a level rail corridor at 100km/h and removing existing safety controls is something else.

The Government is being reckless with the reliability of our network and the safety of our community to deliver a “new” service on the Bankstown Line which differs very little to the service currently available.

The conversion of the Bankstown Line never added up, with experts and parliamentary committees recommending its cancellation. Even the last Government wanted to cancel it!

This is simply an attack on working people using billions of taxpayer dollars to do so. Automation for the sake of automation. It’s easier to bargain with machines than unionised workers.

While we languish with privatised bus services which the Government has flat out refused to fix, the most tolled road network on earth, and a heavy rail network purposefully neglected, this frolic should be seen for what it is.

Our actions commencing at 0001hrs on 18 September are:

1. Only working the timetable as it is today.
2. Ban on cancellations of Diagrams/Schedules and accepting alternate work (unless the Government makes fares $0.50 per trip) – this action commences at 0100hrs on 18 September.
3. A ban on all work on the Bankstown (T3) line if the section between Sydenham and Bankstown is shut.
4. A ban on possessions and clearing signals on the Bankstown (T3) line if the section between Sydenham and Bankstown is shut.

These operate alongside our ban on Train Crew accepting alterations which commences this coming Wednesday (11 September).

Accompanying these actions, we have other actions beginning at 0001hrs on 18 September which are specific to particular classifications:

1. Infrastructure workers ban on performing work if the temperature exceed 30 degrees.
2.  A ban on cleaning or otherwise performing duties associated with dead animals.
3. Signalling work only to be performed from current regional locations.
4.  Leppington Stabling Yard CSOs to only perform work to their current master roster.
5.  A ban on non-safety critical REMs.
6.  A ban on additional work for the Rail Operations Centre
7.  A ban on training new trainees at the Rail Operations Centre.
8. A ban on work associated with ASBs on Tuesdays, Wednesdays, Saturdays and Sundays

You can find a copy of the notices we are serving here (Notice 1, Notice 2).

If you experience any negative action or retribution about taking part in these actions, please inform your delegate or organiser immediately. This type of behaviour is illegal, and we won’t stand for our members being victimised for exercising their workplace rights.