NSW rail dispute: Government seeks scapegoats

Tom Pearson

The NSW rail dispute continues this week, perpetuated by the Carr 
Government's refusal to deal with the fundamental problems of the 
system, problems caused by a lack of funding and widespread staff 
shortages. The Government's intransigence will see up to 120 
CityRail train services a day cancelled if it stays on the path 
of confrontation and refuses to face up to its responsibilities 
to the commuters of Australia's biggest metropolis.

In the face of a belligerent campaign of misinformation by 
Transport Minister Michael Costa, Rail, Tram and Bus Union (RTBU) 
members have now been given no option but to refuse to do the 
excessive overtime that has been forced on them in order to keep 
the system operating.

Among the accusations hurled at the drivers by Costa during the 
past two weeks is that the dispute is being caused by the 
"guerrilla tactics" of a few "renegade" drivers. Yet last weekend 
just 12 out of CityRail's 300 drivers took up the Government's 
so-called solution of increased overtime pay.

Central to the dispute is the failure by Government for almost a 
decade to ensure necessary staff levels are maintained, the 
result of funding cuts and the deliberate running down of the 
CityRail system.

The Government's offer of a $400-a-month increase in overtime 
payments was rejected by the drivers because it was clearly a 
band-aid solution to a haemorrhaging system. They also recognised 
the government's ploy — that if they accepted the offer it would 
be perceived by the public that they were holding the system to 
ransom for a pay rise, when in fact they have genuine concerns 
that need to be addressed.

The union points out that there are high levels of overtime 
across the whole system. During the dispute the Government and 
the management, RailCorp, have peddled the line that train 
cancellations and delays have occurred as a result of a campaign 
by drivers to refuse to do overtime. This is not so.

Management and Government are attacking the union and its members 
because they are desperately seeking scapegoats for the current 
chaos. The RTBU is calling for the real problems in the system to 
be dealt with.

They include the failure of management to plan for the needs of 
the system despite the warnings issued by union members over some 
time that there was an acute shortage of staff to run the system 
properly. Lack of investment in capital equipment, and lack of 
investment in recruiting and training staff are the real cause of 
the current crisis.

Management has refused to consult with the union and instead has 
adopted a "crash through or crash" approach to the workforce. And 
the workforce has crashed, because they simply can no longer keep 
up the hours required to keep the system running.

The crisis is affecting the whole of the workforce, says the 
union. In every area staff shortages have ballooned as 
recruitment procedures have faltered and ceased.

A campaign of intimidation by management has accompanied the 
public attack on the drivers:

* Drivers have been expected to break award and enterprise 
agreement conditions;

* There has been arbitrary and inconsistent application of 
disciplinary measures;

* Drivers have been contacted by management at home on days off 
and while on holidays;

* Drivers have been unable to contact supervisors when required;

* Driver recruitment and training is unplanned and inadequate;

* Drivers' amenities and facilities are dirty and substandard;

* There are public safety and occupational health and safety 
concerns;

* There are problems with rostering and timetables and concerns 
about excessive overtime.

It is a debacle on a grand scale. All those people who went to 
the 2000 Olympics will have come away with the impression that 
Sydney's public rail system must rank with the best in the world, 
moving millions of visitors quickly and efficiently throughout 
the city.

There were 3000 extra workers employed on the system during the 
Games, but it was clearly all for show. In just three years the 
Carr Government has brought that system into chaos, and now to a 
grinding halt.