Paid member meetings are commencing TODAY to discuss the offer from TfNSW.

Over the last couple of weeks your union, along with the combined transport unions (CTU) have been in intensive Award negotiations.  TfNSW had rejected the majority of the PSA and CTU’s proposals to resolve our specific claims, whilst the intensive negotiations were an opportunity for TfNSW to seriously come to these negotiations with alternative resolutions.

Despite these intensive meetings TfNSW has be unable to adequately address the crucial claims.

TfNSW Offer

On 28 June 2022 TfNSW put a formal offer to the PSA and CTU for the Roads and Maritime Services Consolidated Salaried Award 2019 (RMS Award) and Transport for New South Wales and Sydney Metro Salaries and Conditions of Employment Award 2021 (TfNSW Award).

The key parts of Transport’s offer to vary the Awards can be summarised as follows:

• 2 year Award.
• A pay increase each year of 3.00 per cent (being a 2.53 per cent increase to salaries and related allowances, and essentially a 0.5 per cent self-funded increase for superannuation). A potential for a further 0.5 per cent increase in the 2023 – 2024 financial year is flagged, BUT only where there have been substantial employee contributions made to productivity enhancing reforms and the parties reach agreement on these reforms.
• Vary the Award Parental Leave and Domestic Violence Leave provisions to ensure the entitlements align to the NSW Government Memorandums.
• Inclusion of clause that provides for relevant employees in the TMC to be consulted with the view to developing fatigue principles.
• Revised wording for TMC specific clause seeking to have a specific shift length for employees on training and alternative duties.
• Inclusion of a right to disconnect.
• Align provisions between Awards.
• Update language to be gender neutral language and other changes to modernise language to promote inclusion and diversity.
• Administrative changes.

 

Outside of the Awards, TfNSW is offering to partner with the CTU through the JCC to address issues of concern and develop solutions.  The Issues TfNSW is agreeing they will address are:

• Workload and forfeited flex credits;
• Consultation and change
• Use of labour hire.

A draft plan has been supplied to the PSA and CTU included in this plan:

• Provision of reporting on forfeited flex across TfNSW;
• Monitoring of flexible working hours would be a standing agenda item of JCC.
• Where areas are identified units and roles that have forfeited flex measures will be taken immediately which include leaders taking measures to reduce employees accrual of flex, if this cannot be done and flex is still forfeited in the settlement period finishing 6 November 2022 then CONSIDERATION will be given to pay out any hours at single time that would be forfeited.

 

You can read TfNSW’s full offer here.

 

What does it mean?

The PSA and other unions needs to advise TfNSW if the offer is accepted.

This offer from TfNSW rejects the majority of the crucial claims made by the PSA and CTU during negotiations.  Practically speaking the offer means:

• Rather than a one year Award as sought by the PSA with the CTU, you are locked into the conditions for two years, including the salary increases. This is irrespective of whether there are changes to the Wages Policy, or whether a potential change of Government in 2023 may view your claims more favourably.
• We don’t know the specifics about how it will be determined that 0.05 per cent increase will be payable in the 2023 – 2024 financial year. But you will be locked in to the increase.
• Your pay increases this year would be nowhere near the rate of inflation and inflation is predicted to only get higher in current modelling by financial experts.
• There will not be a definite value placed on unpaid hours of work whether that be a payment of overtime, or an increase in the number of hours you can bank towards Christmas flex. Rather, a draft plan provided to the unions suggests as part of the JCC areas of concern will be identified, and if after leaders work with those employees forfeiting flex and hours are still forfeited at the end of the settlement period of 6 November 2022, they will CONSIDER paying out those hours that would be forfeited at single time for that settlement period only. This does not guarantee payment if hours are forfeited, nor does it appear to apply to all of TfNSW.
• Rather than include clauses in the Award that will assist in solutions to the concerns around consultation and change, Labour Hire, Workload and forfeiture of flex we are going to be reliant on TfNSW engaging via the JCC and working groups in accordance with their draft plan. Considering the PSA has been taking workloads and forfeited flex to the JCC over an extended period of time, we are sceptical about this solution.

 

The PSA has prepared a summary comparison of TfNSW offer compared to the crucial claims made by the PSA and CTU.  You can view that here.

 

If TfNSW’s offer is rejected and negotiations continue beyond the first full pay period from 1 July (which is 8 July 2022) this will mean a pay rise will not take effect and it may result in loss of back pay.  The PSA is currently seeking some guarantee of back pay, particularly considering the offer from TfNSW was provided three days before the expiration of the Award, and we had been bargaining in good faith since March.

 

What Next?

As a democratic union the PSA is asking members to tell us via a survey if you will accept the offer put forward by TfNSW, or if you want to reject it and continue to fight for a better pay and conditions like other Unions in the Public Sector advocating for a better outcome.

 

The PSA member survey can be found HERE

As timeframes are tight (due to the late offer) the survey will close 9am Monday 4 July 2022.

 

The PSA will be holding member meetings in paid time (details below) so you can understand the offer further. As these meetings are in paid time you can attend during your normal working hours. Please come along to whichever meeting best fits your schedule.

 

Member Meetings

 

Meeting #1

Date: 30.06.2022

Time: 1.00pm-2.00pm

To join, please use the following link:

Click here to join the meeting

 

Meeting #2

Date: 30.06.2022

Time: 3.00pm-4.00pm

To join, please use the following link:
Click here to join the meeting

 

Meeting #3

Date: 01.07.2022

Time: 9:00am-10:00am

To join, please use the following link:
Click here to join the meeting

 

 

Meeting #4

Date: 01.07.2022

Time: 12.00pm-1.00pm

To join, please use the following link:
Click here to join the meeting

 

Meeting # 5

Date: 01.07.2022

Time: 3:00pm – 4:00pm

Join on your computer or mobile app

Click here to join the meeting

 

Meeting # 6

Date: 04. 07. 2022

Time: 10:00am – 11:00am

Join on your computer or mobile app

Click here to join the meeting

 

Meeting #7

Date: 04.07.2022

Time: 12:00pm – 1:00pm

Join on your computer or mobile app

Click here to join the meeting

 

Meeting #8

Date: 04.07.2022

Time: 3:00pm – 4:00pm

Join on your computer or mobile app

Click here to join the meeting