ETU Sydney Trains EBA campaign

Week 20-21 Internal Works Exempt from PIA

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List of ETU Sydney Trains delegates

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ETU Sydney Trains EBA campaign poster 

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ETU Sydney Trains Protected Industrial Actions from Tuesday 19 October

All ETU members at Sydney Trains should take certain approved and legally Protected Industrial Actions starting from 12.01 am Tuesday 19 October.

It is critically important that members take ONLY the actions listed in this email.

It is also vital that members DO NOT take any action until after 12.01 am Tuesday 19 October, as any such action would be unprotected.


5 Protected Industrial Actions from Tuesday 19 October

These five actions are legally Protected. The ETU has informed Sydney Trains that ETU members will take these actions from 12.01 am Tuesday 19 October.

  1. An unlimited number of indefinite or periodic bans on work at sites that do not have separate amenities for both male and female employees, except in emergencies to prevent immanent hazards to employees or the travelling public.
  2. Attaching union and industrial campaign-related material to outgoing mail and/or emails and adding CEPU and industrial campaign-related material to Sydney Trains materials and displays.
  3. Speaking to members of the public during work related telephone calls about the industrial action and the CEPU’s campaign for a new enterprise agreement.
  4. Wearing and distributing CEPU and industrial campaign-related material to members of the public whilst performing work, including but not limited to t-shirts, badges, written communications and stickers.
  5. Providing information, in any form, concerning the views of employees about industrial action and the CEPU’s campaign for a new enterprise agreement to members of the community including to members of the media.


How are these actions legally Protected Industrial Action?

ETU members voting in a Protected Action Ballot overwhelmingly endorsed a list of 36 potential industrial actions.

In the PAB, which was approved by the Fair Work Commission, at least 92% of members voting said YES to each action.

The ETU gave the required notice to Sydney Trains for each of the five actions listed in this email.

All members can and should now take these Actions.


Why has the ETU launched a Protected Industrial Action campaign?

Here are 4 key reasons why ETU delegates launched this industrial campaign:

  1. No acceptable EBA offer: Sydney Trains have failed to make an acceptable EBA offer after many full-day bargaining meetings.
  2. Cuts to real wages: The company’s wages offer is below inflation and would deliver a cut to real wages. In the first year, the offer is just 0.3% -- the same tiny amount that was rejected by 87% of rail workers voting in February 2021. Official inflation in the current year is 3.8%, so that offer equals a 3.5% real wage cut.
  3. Job security threatened: Sydney Trains seeks to remove or weaken the Deed (a document attached to the current EBA) which includes job security protections, and redundancy and redeployment provisions.
  4. Conditions attacked: Sydney Trains wants to reduce workers’ conditions, including by attacking EBA clauses that define rights and protections around consultation, dispute resolution, and rostering.


How is the ETU industrial campaign organised?

Our campaign is coordinated through regular meetings between ETU Sydney Trains delegates and the ETU team including Assistant Secretary Ben Lister, President Glen Potter and legal and communications officers.

The ETU also coordinates with Combined Rail Unions through daily meetings.

When authorised by delegates, further legally Protected Industrial Actions will be added to the ETU Sydney Trains campaign.

The ETU will update members with regular emails and SMS about the campaign outlining which Protected Industrial Actions can and should be taken on which dates.

Our campaign will continue, with the support of ETU members and delegates, until Sydney Trains makes a fair and reasonable EBA offer.

For more information, please contact your ETU delegate. You can find contacts for all ETU Sydney Trains delegates here: insert link


Where can I find campaign materials?

You can download campaign materials here. 

ETU Sydney Trains EBA campaign poster PDFdownload , save and print out, distribute around the network, to workers and the public

ETU Sydney Trains EBA campaign JPEG download , save and attach to emails, post on social media.

Campaign selfies – please print out either of the above, take a photo of you holding the poster and send to [email protected] – you can also post on your own social media!

Giant campaign posters – the ETU has produced 100 giant corflute campaign posters which are being distributed to Sydney Trains delegates. These are great for group photos! Send to [email protected]

 

I look forward to a great campaign for a good EBA. Let’s stick together until we win!

 

Proud to be union

Ben Lister

Assistant Secretary, ETU NSW & ACT