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PO Box 92, BROADWAY 2007 NSW Australia.
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SPARKS BULLETIN DEC. 2022 www.sparksweb.org PO Box 92 Broadway 2007 NSW
CLAASSENS DEED WITH PERROTTET: SELLOUT ON EBA, DOO ON NIF & PRIVATISATION! LET'S
SEE THE DEED!
There is an urgent need for RTBU members in the NSW Railways and in particular
train crews to be provided access to a full copy of the deed – regarding
renovations on the NIF (New Intercity Fleet), with adequate time for
consideration of the document and assessment by an industrial lawyer and
ratification by voting. New information has been leaked about some serious and
completely unacceptable nasties in the deed. What are the other nasties?
Some news in WSWS report 28/11/22:
1. According to the union, the new fleet will be pressed into service even
before the alterations are made, under an “interim operating model” requiring
two guards on each train. Hypocritically Claassens has stated in the media on
numerous occasions that the NIF are unsafe to operate without the renos!
2. The agreement has only guaranteed the positions of guards and other workers
on the NIF for four years.
3. Other information received is bribery of guards with $14,000 for sitting in
the non-functioning guards' compartment on non-renovated NIF trains. Approved
by management and the RTBU officials. Again shows the hypocrisy of Claassens
and other RTBU officials regarding the above safety concerns with the NIF.
Will workers voting for the new EBA (Enterprise Bargain Agreement) amount to
approving the deed? Has Claassens agreed for the deed not to be ratified by
members voting? Similar to the 'top secret' MOU (Memorandum of Understanding) on
DOO on NIF back in early 2017. If we can't get the deed now it will be buried
like the MOU! Are there conditions in the deed which are illegal? In the deed
is there agreement to privatisation by RTBU Sec. Claassens? This deed is
totally linked to the EBA and fake pay rises according to media reports. So
called wage rises as part of the Rail EBA to be 'Arbitrated' by the Bosses Un-
Fair Work Court are likely to be way below rates of current inflation. Are
there further wage cut backs associated with the 'fine print' of clauses? Are
there aspects of privatisation such as outsourcing of jobs? Is your pay further
cut by legislated increases in Superannuation payments? Is this deed in breach
of union rules?
Is the sudden alleged 'break through' in the rail EBA negotiations connected
with camouflage for the rigging of RTBU elections 2022 to get Claassens and his
team back in as ring masters of this vicious rail EBA circus? (See “RTBU
Elections 2018: Were they rigged?” Page 5. Sparks No.161 Dec.2018 – Jan. 2019
www.sparksweb.org) Will this deed be an issue for ICAC - bribery and inducement
of a union official to sign the deed?
DEMANDS:
1. A copy of the full deed document be placed on the RTBU web site for all
members to view.
2. Four weeks are allowed for RTBU train crew members to consider the deed
before a stop work mass meeting is held to debate and vote to ratify the deed.
3. Four weeks are allowed for RTBU members in NSW railways affected to consider
the full rail EBA docs and a stop work mass meeting is held to debate and vote
on it.
https://www.smh.com.au 25/11/22 NSW Transport Minister David Elliott said the
government and rail union had reached a breakthrough on Friday afternoon
https://www.abc.net.au 25/11/22 rail-chaos-set-end-after...NSW government, rail
union sign a deal paving way for end to ...
25/11/22 The Transport Minister David Elliott says the agreement reached with
the union is a win for Sydney commuters. (ABC News).
Rail strikes to end as NSW govt makes deal - Yahoo Finance
25/11/22 The NSW government has finally carved out a deal with the rail union
to ... Minister Damien Tudehope and Transport Minister David Elliott.
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CONTRIBUTIONS:
Sparks welcomes contributions in the shape of poems, cartoons, songs,
articles by transport workers. Please mail to SPARKS PO Box 92,
BROADWAY 2007 NSW Australia OR email above.
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orders out to "Rebel Worker" in Australian dollars. SPARKS is
published by Sydney Local of the Network for Democratic Unionism. Rebel Worker
is the bimonthly paper of the Network for Democratic Unionism: Subs are
$12 per year within Australia (for overseas rates please email for
details). Please send your sub to: SPARKS, PO Box 92, Broadway 2007
NSW Australia.
DISTRIBUTORS:
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What is Democratic Unionism?
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Democratic unionism means grass roots controlled unionism. This is as opposed to
trade unionism. We advocate all workers in one industry be in one union so as to remove
artificial divisions amongst workers. Such a union must be fully
organised and controlled by the membership. To achieve this we want a
union organised along the following lines:-
1. That no person employed by the union can earn more than the average
income of the membership;
2. That spokespeople have no executive power - all decisions are made
by the membership affected;
3. Spokespeople are only to act as delegates elected. The membership
to carry out decisions made by the membership;
4. That a mechanism be instituted for the instant recall of spokespeople
/delegates who break the above rules.
5. That all positions within the union be held as a limited tenure, ie.
two years (unless no one else stands).
6. There is no body of full time paid officials. All loss of earnings
are to be paid by the union to the extent of the lost wages.
7. That a programme of decentralised decision making be implemented
within the union structure, so that we won't need full time
paid
positions.
Only in this way can we see a democratic united, fighting organisation
be created which will stand up for the rights of workers and their
families against all governments, political parties and all bosses.
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