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Transport for NSW - Award Negotiations Continue

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Published on Monday, 19 December, 2011

Transport for NSW - Award Negotiations Continue

The ASU appeared in the Industrial Relations Commission on Friday, 11 November 2011 with the Combined Transport Unions to seek further information from Transport for NSW (TfNSW) about how positions within the new authority will be filled so members can make an informed decision about their future employment.

LETTERS OF OFFER

At the hearing TfNSW provided unions with copies of a series of letters of offer that will soon be sent to employees.

Seven different letters have been drafted based on whether:

1. a members’ grade level remains the same or changes;

2. a member is offered a senior service position or not; and

3. a member will maintain their current pay level or switch to the alternate one offered within TfNSW.

Members who remain on their current scale of pay will receive increments and pay increases consistent with their current EA until its completion date. Members who move straight to the new scale will receive the TfNSW determination pay increases set at 2.5% per year.

Members should receive an offer with various options including an option that will leave them in the best financial position. It is import members carefully read the offer they receive before accepting a position.

WHAT DOES ACCEPTING AN OFFER MEAN?

If members accept a job with TfNSW you will have to resign from your current agency. This means once a member has resigned they will no longer be entitled to any of their current entitlements and they will have accepted the conditions of employment and pay set out in Director General Les Wielinga’s recent determination, Determination 1, together with any conditions contained in the letter of appointment.

The conditions in this determination are the same as those in the draft award presented to Unions NSW by TfNSW in October 2011. These will be the minimum conditions that members will have within the new authority.

If a member does not accept an offer the majority of employees will then be managed by an external company under the Managing Excess Employees policy. RailCorp employees will be managed under the current terms of the RailCorp EA.

NEGOTIATING A NEW AWARD

The ASU is currently working with the other transport unions to secure an improved award for members which will provide better conditions of employment than those currently determined by TfNSW.

Although TfNSW has stated it is committed to negotiating the new award with the Combined Transport Unions, the unions are prepared for a series of negotiations in a very difficult political climate as a result of the O’Farrell government giving the Director General of TfNSW, Mr Wielinga, unprecedented powers to force people into TfNSW and then to set their pay and conditions. The O’Farrell Government’s legislation means there is not a court or industrial body which can moderate the excesses of the O’Farrell Government or the Director General.

The Combined Transport Unions have outlined a plan for negotiations for a new award with the Director General whilst at the same time finalising an alternate draft award. The Combined Transport Unions have cautiously accepted the Director General’s undertaking and are approaching the negotiation in good faith in order to reach a fair and reasonable award.

WHAT NEXT?

Members who receive a letter of offer will be given:

• seven (7) days to respond from the date it was sent; or
• three (3) days to respond after receiving an offer following an expression of interest process.

If members have questions about the offer they receive, the new conditions or whether they have been offered the right level of pay they should contact This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.

or call 9310 4000.