Article: Strike looms as talks break down

[ozbob]

From the Queensland Times click here!

Strike looms as talks break down

Strike looms as talks break down

6th September 2011

TRAIN controllers are considering taking industrial action after a breakdown in enterprise bargaining talks with the State Government.

Rail Tram and Bus Union state secretary Owen Doogan said Train Controllers had been patient during the 18 weeks of negotiations with Queensland Rail.

The union, on behalf of train controllers, last Friday lodged an application for a ballot on industrial action.

"Now it appears that QR is opposing this application,"; Mr Doogan said.

"These approximately 100 Train Controllers are some of the most powerful workers in the rail industry, but as responsible workers have seldom been forced to the situation where they felt obliged to take individual industrial action,"; he said.

"Without their knowledge and expertise, passenger trains will not run.

"The government has driven these workers to frustration, to the point where they are now prepared overwhelmingly to consider industrial action,"; he said.

This matter is before Fair Work Australia this afternoon.

[AnonymouslyBad]

It just never ends...

All we need now is BT drivers to have a bit of a dispute and we may as well just shut down the entire public transport system.

It'll be interesting to see what comes of this. The state won't be too keen to test out what happens when trains don't run for a day. (They might have to acknowledge how important PT is! )

[Golliwog]

Just think of what happened when they had to shut the Captain Cook Bridge. Then multiply that by a big number, and factor in that its from every direction, not just the south. Don't want to see that happen.

[HappyTrainGuy]

Its not just passenger trains they control

[Golliwog]

But how far north do they control? Pretty sure QRN have their own for the network they own/control.

[SurfRail]

But how far north do they control? Pretty sure QRN have their own for the network they own/control.

Which is pretty much the CQ coal network and not much else.

[Arnz]

This also affects the North Queensland passenger operations as well.  Not just the South East Queensland passenger ops.

[HappyTrainGuy]

But how far north do they control? Pretty sure QRN have their own for the network they own/control.

Guuhhhh IIRC the Blackwater system was under Rocky TC, Newlands system was under Townsville TC and Goonyella was under Mackay TC. BSATC looks after the suburban area which includes GCL, Cleveland, Richalnds/Rosewood and as far north to Tamaree (Gympie). Doomben-Hamilton sidings-Pinkenba, Mayne depot, Fishermans Island, Acica Ridge, Mary Valley and Beaudesert* are all local controls. Brisbane TC looks after Rosewood-Toowoomba, the South Western System, the Western System and Tamaree (Gympie) to just south of Gladstone before Rocky TC takes over the NCL.

* BSATC only takes over control when trains enter their territory.

[Golliwog]

So this potential strike is of the Brisbane TC and BSATC?

[ozbob]

From the Queensland Times click here!

Strikes could derail holiday trips

Strikes could derail holiday trips

Zane Jackson | 27th September 2011

TRAIN strikes could wreak havoc on Ipswich rail commuters in the lead-up to Christmas this year with the members of four unions expected to take industrial action.

Union leaders tip that a ballot of train controllers and transit officers will strongly endorse taking strike action soon.

Should strike action go ahead, it is expected to cause major disruptions to workers and university students who use the Ipswich line each day.

An application for ballot on industrial action by 500 staff was lodged by unions yesterday.

Owen Doogan from the Rail Tram and Bus Union said train controllers were like air traffic controllers - if they strike, the trains don't move.

"The current ballot of train controllers and transit officers is expected to endorse industrial action by a significant margin," Mr Doogan said.

He said taking industrial action was a "last resort" after five months of failed enterprise bargaining negotiations with Queensland Rail (QR).

He said QR ignored the latest annual rise of 3.8% in the Consumer Price Index in following the State Government's wages policy based on 2.5% yearly increases.

"It is QR's blind adherence to the government's wages policy that has sparked the anger of rail workers," he said.

Commuter advocate Robert Dow, from Rail Back on Track, said strike action would cause major headaches for many Ipswich train users.

Mr Dow said not only would workers travelling to Brisbane be affected, but university students would also be hit hard during their already stressful exam period.

He said rail users would be hoping for a quick resolution to the pay negotiation problems.

A QR spokeswoman said the company said it is currently negotiating with unions and delegates on the details of employee workplace agreements.

"We are committed to continuing the negotiations in good faith," it said.

[HappyTrainGuy]

So this potential strike is of the Brisbane TC and BSATC?

Not sure. Rocky and Townsville might have something to say as they are operated by QR aswell.

[Fares_Fair]

The strike action is not limited to the Ipswich line alone, is it ?

Regards,
Fares_Fair.

[ozbob]

The strike action is not limited to the Ipswich line alone, is it ?

Regards,
Fares_Fair.

No, all lines.  The preceeding article is from Queensland Times, an Ipswich based paper hence the local angle.

[Fares_Fair]

   Thanks ozbob.

Regards,
Fares_Fair.

PS Thumbs down for a strike.

[O_128]

ColinW is there a automated system available that can make these peoples jobs obsolete? if yes lets buy it, Im sick of the strikes, 3500 are going to be out of work when toyota moves its plant to thailand in the next 10 years, the workers there are cheaper and won't strike.

[SurfRail]

ColinW is there a automated system available that can make these peoples jobs obsolete? if yes lets buy it, Im sick of the strikes, 3500 are going to be out of work when toyota moves its plant to thailand in the next 10 years, the workers there are cheaper and won't strike.

Workers in Thailand cannot provide on-site customer service, drive or maintain trains or run the numerous other functions needed to keep the network going.  Good luck going driverless with low level platforms and level crossings, too!

Perhaps instead of blaming the workforce you could direct some of your ire to management, who appear to have been childishly refusing to negotiate properly for months.  Ditto with TAG.

[HappyTrainGuy]

Anyone know how long the radio delay would be for a driver talking to control in Thailand? I'd suggest email would be faster but from previous experience reply emails from oversea tech support haven't always been english

[Gazza]

How much are the drivers getting paid at the moment? That will determine if I feel pity to their cause or not.

[HappyTrainGuy]

Isn't the issue with the train controllers, not the drivers?

[O_128]

Im more interested in what training is involved etc etc, if they need a new controller ill do it for $20 an hour 

[STB]

Im more interested in what training is involved etc etc, if they need a new controller ill do it for $20 an hour  

When I was at QR years ago, IIRC it was something like three or six months of intensive training in the training rooms.  From what I was told by others who went through it, they taught you a mass amount of things such as safeworking, all the technical details of the rollingstock (in the event of having to do some on line troubleshooting), signalling etc etc.  After all that you would spend some time on the floor doing basic tasks as a trainee controller (assisting other controllers etc), eventually after some time, you would be a controller.

It's not rocket science but it does require a fairly high level amount of knowledge (technical and knowing the lines themselves among other things).  In other words, it's a very specialized field.

[Stillwater]

If the wages on offer are below the level of inflation, the state government, in effect, is offering a pay cut.

[brad C]

Let's no forget the perks of free travel to work (and no FBT liability) that QR workers enjoy. In some cases this provides upwards of an additional $70 of disposable income per week in the pockets of a QR employee. And we know who is subsidising this - we poor commuters.
There are plenty of other front line workers doing it tough out here - try public health workers for a start.

[mufreight]

Let's no forget the perks of free travel to work (and no FBT liability) that QR workers enjoy. In some cases this provides upwards of an additional $70 of disposable income per week in the pockets of a QR employee. And we know who is subsidising this - we poor commuters.
There are plenty of other front line workers doing it tough out here - try public health workers for a start.

The majority of train crew and train control staff are forced to use private transport to and from work as their starting and finishing times dictate that they use private transport so while the free rail travel might be avaliable it is of little real benefit to them.

[petey3801]

Let's no forget the perks of free travel to work (and no FBT liability) that QR workers enjoy. In some cases this provides upwards of an additional $70 of disposable income per week in the pockets of a QR employee. And we know who is subsidising this - we poor commuters.
There are plenty of other front line workers doing it tough out here - try public health workers for a start.

The majority of train crew and train control staff are forced to use private transport to and from work as their starting and finishing times dictate that they use private transport so while the free rail travel might be avaliable it is of little real benefit to them.

That's exactly right. In the last month (as an example), I could count the days i've used the train to/from work on one hand, simply due to my start/finish times being outside the operating times of the trains for  a large majority of shifts.

[Gazza]

They could use it for free on weekends and on days off.

Loljk, who, except for people from Northgate to Darra even would?