Re: Working Coditions all Enginemen. was Guards to Drive During Olympics?

["Exnarc" <gwrly@netspace.net.au>]

> Well I agree that NRC is in a bad situation as far working
> conditions are concerned but I don't think you can blame Frank
> Hussey for all of it.
> I can't comment on the other states but in NSW a lot of the Drivers
> that went to NRC were Union Executive members from the depots
> where they had been working. Chullora NRC in particular had a
> power base of ex Enfield Union bosses. Now as I recall they didn't
> worry one bit about taking the redundancy and jumping on the NRC
> gravy train. They just wanted the big money that NRC was offering.
> These same ex Union blokes didn't worry that what they were doing
> was going to put the pressure on Train crewing reform right across
> the Industry. This is exactly what the Government wanted right
> from the start and they fell for it. Now everyone else is
> suffering as well.
>

Thats a pretty broad statement about jumping on the NRC Gravy Train!!!!

Enginemen in Victoria that went to NRC didn't get any redundancy payments,
not everyone went for the so called big bucks either, I did it for family
reasons, (others because they thought NRC was a new railway and they wanted
to get in and be involved in what they saw as a new start for rail in
Australia) infact most of us (in Victoria) lost big bucks with regards to
Superannuation, no redundancy money and in my case a loss of over $100 grand
in super, so don't brand everyone with the one label.

As it turned out, some of us had enough of Vince Graham and his bunch of
Industrial Thugs and got out when we had the chance, others I'm sure would
if they got the opportunity. As far as blaming Frank Hussey, well I'll leave
that upto the individual, all I will say is that a lot of people put a lot
of faith in Frank and his word, a lot are disappointed!!!!!

As for changed working conditions that NRC was supposed to have brought on,
have a look around you, see what is happening in industry in general, the
work place is changing everywhere, (not for the better I might point out),
NRC was just one area for change, Frank Hussey didn't do it, the Peter
Rieth's of this world and their stooges like Vince are the real culprits.

A lot of enginemen have a gripe with NRC, but in many cases its because they
missed out on a job, not because they opposed the concept, if that were the
case many of those now complaining wouldn't have done the job interview in
the first place would they?

To those that did miss out and felt (or still feel) angry, cool it, you were
the real winners, if thats not the case why are people leaving NRC in
droves???

Bob.