Re: Guard & Drivers Working Together.

[vorgestern@hotmail.com (Karina Vor-daniken)]

Takes to personnel to work an electric train in Sydney. One Driver &
one guard. Their work location is the same. The crew cab. One sits on
the left, one sits on the right. So their habitat is identical, apart
from where they sit, and what's their required duties.

There's no disputing that one has a comfortable seat, the other has a
seat with the same comfort level as a passenger. On Interurban stock,
the passengers are provided with more comfortable seats because of the
longer distances involved. Yet, the guard can spend the same hours and
more on a suburban train and his seat remains hard and uncomfortable.

Yes, the guard can sit in the drivers seat, who would not elect to use
the best seat. However, guards are not allowed to sit in the drivers
cab. But they do, and 95% of drivers would not have a problem there.
But still, technically they are not allowed to do it.

We appear to agree that nothing can be done for the guards regarding
the air-conditioning simply because they have to open the door at
platforms. That's part of their job. My argument is that the driver
has an advantage because he can keep his closed. If an employee can
have an air-conditioned work location that's great, however open and
closing the exterior cabin doors negates the level of efficiency of
the system. That becomes an advantage to the driver through no fault
of his own.

Regarding wages: if one receives a higher rate of pay than the other,
than that's fine. I simply stated that a guard would have to work
additional hours to bring home the same pay package. In short, shorter
hours for higher pay. I have no problem here again. Simply their
working condition regarding wages is better.

Regarding better working conditions:  the driver has shorter rostered
hours, has a higher hourly rate, has a more comfortable seat, does not
have to wear a uniform, does not have to deal with the public, has the
advantage of the prestige of saying he's a train driver, does not get
wet when it's raining & and his cabin air-conditioning works more
efficiently.

What more would you consider to be better examples of greater working
conditions. After all, as I said above, they both work from the same
crew cab. [although at different locations in the composite of the
train]

I believe all drivers know their position has greater job satisfaction
than the guards. Lets face it, the guard has the crap job.