Re: GrainCorp
tezza (tezza@atinet.com.au)
Sat, 31 Jan 1998 21:03:14 +1100
David Bromage wrote in message <6au7u9$6qa$5@gruvel.une.edu.au>...
>tezza (tezza@atinet.com.au) wrote:
>>Casual crews are *very* big stumbling block for the PTU. Problem is
once
>>FC or anyone else get a foot in the door with *voluntary* casual, it's
>>not a big step to *mandatory*.
>
>The obvious answer would be multiskilling to keep fewer staff fully
>occupied. In some areas a crew might only get one or two shifts per
week,
>so on some other days they could be doing other tasks such as light
>maintenance. So instead of, say, two drivers, two fitters and an
>electrician to look after a pair of 48s, a remote location might have
two
>driver/fitters and a driver/electrician whose jobs could be rotated.
The
>capital cost of training would ultimately be offset by the savings in
>current costs.
>
>A useful analogy is West Coast Rail where some conductors and catering
>staff also do administrative work, and this newsgroup's resident
>conductor/engineer.
Train Crews already are the most multiskilled people on the railways.
The union will do special deals for small operators. For Manildra, the
shunter was taught to drive and the 3 of them take a week at a turn at
each job.