SRA overpayment

The State Rail Authority (SRA) of NSW has recently issued notices to 
several thousand CityRail workers demanding repayment of "overpaid" wages. 
The amounts sought range from several hundred dollars up to to $12,000 
each. The SRA blames computer problems for the "overpayment".

The "overpayment" is in regard to backpay that was part of a Job and Work 
Redesign (J&WR) agreement reached with the unions in 1998. The backpay 
covers a period dating back to 1995, recognising the workload increase of 
station staff over that period.

CityRail management used the back payment as an excuse to adversely change 
working conditions and rosters.

Workloads were increased, responsibilities changed, downsizing continued 
and other cost-cutting arrangements were introduced.

In effect, this was the economic rationalism of the NSW railways.

There was working party after working party, as millions of dollars were 
injected into the J&WR agreement.

The agreement for backpay was ratified by the Industrial Relations 
Commission, and backpay on basic wage rates was paid in December 1998.

The balance of four years of backpay on penalties and overtime was still to 
come.

But six months later the SRA deducted what it called "overpayments" 
from pay packets without any authorisation or warning. Some workers got no 
pay that fortnight.

SRA management acted as though it could take a whole fortnight's wage 
without warning or permission.

Eventually, the rail unions took out a dispute notice, but the damage was 
already done. Some workers were left with no wages.

While rail workers were repaying their "overpayments", the SRA continued to 
push ahead with its workplace restructuring, with new technology, increased 
absence controls and changes to sick leave conditions, new rostering 
arrangements and "counselling".

Then last month it started all over again. More claims of "overpayment" 
regarding the same backpay — another computer glitch.

Outraged workers established a petition to push for a full inquiry into the 
apparent financial mismanagement of several thousand employees.

They have no faith in the SRA's claims of "overpayment" — who's to say 
they haven't got it wrong again. And where are the details of shifts, hours 
worked, penalty rates, taxes deducted?

Some are now seeing their pay shrink for a second time. They are reluctant 
to go on handing over money, particularly when the evidence put up by the 
SRA seems to be full of anomalies.

And many simply cannot afford to go on giving back money to their employer.

The SRA has now provided some workers with assessments. But these raise 
more doubts over the SRA's calculations. For example, some show the same 
pay for several weeks in a row where different shifts were worked at 
different rates each week.

The SRA calculations also seem to have overlooked rostered work hours and 
payment for higher duties.

Further examination confirm that shift penalties, holiday loading and 
previous EBAs did not carry the J&WR rate of pay.

The SRA has saved millions of dollars by not paying out these award 
conditions.

The monetary promises which rail workers believed were part of the 
agreement in return for their sacrifices have not been delivered.

Instead rail workers are having their wages snatched out of their pockets 
as they are told they have been overpaid!

So far 321 SRA employees have signed a petition asking for further evidence 
before they hand over their wages.