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Issue No. 245 | 05 November 2004 |
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What�s In a Name?
Interview: The Reich Stuff Economics: Crime and Punishment Environment: Beyond The Wedge International: The End Of The Lucky Country Safety: Tests Fail Tests Politics: Labo(u)r Day Human Rights: Arabian Lights History: Labour's Titan Review: Foxy Fiasco Poetry: Then I Saw The Light
The Locker Room The Soapbox Parliament
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News Staff, Trees Weather the Blame
"They�ve blamed wet weather, hot weather, cold weather, windy weather, trees and train drivers," says Nick Lewocki from the Rail Tram and Bus Union (RTBU). "The only people left to blame are the passengers.
"What will they do next, suggest that the system operate without passengers so the trains can run on time?" RailCorp staff have labelled "mistruths" management claims that late or non-existent train services were the fault of drivers taking sickies. RailCorp attempts to "demonise" staff came after the parties failed to reach agreement on enterprise bargaining negotiations. Sticking points include family friendly leave provisions, rostering, equal penalty payments for all employees, quick resolution of disciplinary procedures (which can currently drag on for 18 months) and a move by RailCorp to split rail maintenance workers onto two agreements. Lewocki confirmed industrial action was likely. "While the government maintains its current position union officials have a mandate to call industrial action," he said. The beleaguered rail system reached meltdown, last week, when not one afternoon service ran within four minutes of timetable and several didn't show up at all. Newspapers were full of letters from angry patrons whose plans had been thrown into disarray by late or non-existent services. Trains are just as unreliable on weekends, even after management slashed services by 40 percent. In the wake of last week's rush hour shambles, staff reacted angrily to management suggestions that they were responsible for the system's flaws . "The RTBU is concerned that the industrial relations agenda of the Carr Labor Government is based on the same criteria of [RailCorp's] on time running and will result in the same chaos that is facing the people of Sydney that use the rail network," Lewocki says. Alex Claassens from the Locomotive Division of the RTBU says people are aware the system is in crisis, and getting worse.
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