Article: Faults soar as union factions gut services

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Faults soar as union factions gut services

Faults soar as union factions gut services
Article from: Herald Sun

Ashley Gardiner

February 25, 2009 12:00am

REPORTS of train faults doubled while Connex and the railway union fought over a Christmas bonus payment.

The typical number of daily train faults last December was about 155. But that number shot up to 328 when Connex refused to pay the bonus.

The Herald Sun believes this number was higher than the typical number of faults during the heatwave meltdown last month that crippled the train system.

Reports of faults fell back to normal levels as soon as Connex caved in and said it would pay the bonus.

When the Herald Sun first revealed the non-payment of the bonus on December 5, train drivers reported 151 faults. The following Monday, December 8, 231 faults were reported, and it kept growing through the week, peaking at 328 on Thursday.

Connex gave in to pressure on Friday, when 324 faults were reported, and by Monday, December 15, only 172 faults were reported.

On Monday night, a train sat idle at Flinders St station for hours because a suspected fault was not reported according to procedure. It was a similar situation that saw the suspension of Sandringham line services on February 18.

The Rail, Tram and Bus Union locomotive division wants to report faulty trains to principal drivers. But it is Connex policy to report faults to train controllers, who are members of the rival RTBU operations division.

Connex and representatives of the RTBU divisions will meet in the Industrial Relations Commission today in a bid to resolve the spat.

Premier John Brumby yesterday said the Government would not intervene.

The Victorian Employers Chamber of Commerce and Industry said the row was a pointless demarcation dispute. "This dispute has echoes of the early 1990s when tram unions held Melbourne to ransom," workplace relations head David Gregory said.

"It is difficult to believe that in 21st century Australia, a fight between two factions of a union is holding commuters to ransom again."