Article: RailCorp staff rorting the system: audit

[ozbob]

From the Couriermail click here!

RailCorp staff rorting the system: audit

RailCorp staff rorting the system: audit

    From: AAP
    October 23, 2012 8:42AM

HUNDREDS of RailCorp staff have been ordered back to work after it was discovered they weren't doing the job they were being paid for.

An internal audit revealed more than 1000 employees remained on the payroll, even though they were failing to perform their designated duties.

Almost 500 of those have since been ordered back to work or left RailCorp.

NSW Transport Minister Gladys Berejiklian said it was unacceptable that so many workers were "either sitting at home or performing tasks different to their assigned role".

"RailCorp is inefficient and unsustainable - it costs $10 million a day to run, with costs rising three times as fast as the number of passenger journeys," Ms Berejiklian said in a statement.

"Our message is clear: dodgy practices of the past are no longer acceptable.

"Those rorting the system have caused frustration for their colleagues being forced to do extra work, because the position in some cases can't be filled permanently."

The minister said the government was determined to cut millions of dollars of waste, change the culture and improve services for rail passengers as part of its Fixing the Trains reform.

Since the audit began earlier in 2012, 1065 of RailCorp's 15,500 employees have been reviewed.

More than 500 other workers are now being investigated.

Unions NSW secretary Mark Lennon said it was time for the government to fix the failure of RailCorp management and stop attacking the workforce.

He said Ms Berejiklian's comments were offensive and demonstrated a complete misunderstanding of RailCorp.

"The minister has today described more than 1000 RailCorp employees as 'bludgers' and also attacked employees on workers compensation," Mr Lennon said in a statement.

He said the minister's comments were "a crude attempt to demonise staff" to pave the way for mass sackings.

"This minister promised to sack 750 middle managers from RailCorp, but having discovered that the fat simply isn't there, Gladys Berejiklian now wants to move on to frontline staff."

Mr Lennon said RailCorp's real flaw was its "chaotic management practices" such as its workers compensation.

"Management have simply failed to develop effective return to work programs for sick and injured workers, instead putting them in the too-hard basket," he said.

NSW Rail, Tram and Bus Union assistant secretary Dave Woollams called for an apology to drivers, guards, signallers, cleaners and administration staff who had legitimately been redeployed to cover vacant positions or were recovering from accidents.

"Sixteen thousand dedicated transport workers across NSW, some coming off long overnight shifts, have opened a paper this morning to see their own minister question their professional integrity," he said in a statement.

"The issues with how public transport operates in this state are clearly caused by a lack of investment and mismanagement at the highest levels of government."

Mr Woollams said it was "unfathomable" the blame could be shifted to workers.

"The minister must immediately apologise to all NSW transport workers for this outrageous slur," he said.

"The claim that hundreds of rail workers are sitting on their couches while receiving full pay is simply untrue.

"Injured workers may be redeployed to office jobs, or moved to fill other vacancies. They may be 'off-roster' but they are still working in meaningful positions."