Re: Guards to Drive During Olympics?

[craigd@lios.apana.org.au (C. Dewick)]

In <DELT3.180$ky4.5149@nsw.nnrp.telstra.net> "Russell Norton" <russelln@primus.com.au> writes:

>>Then there are a lot of other side issues, such as National Rail drivers
>who
>>are coming back to to Cityrail. Then *resigned* from their jobs with
>>CityRail so they do not deserve to re-gain their old seniority levels, etc.
>>They should start right back at the bottom with all the other new recruits.

>Craig, that is total crap.

>Do you honestly believe  that an NRC driver coming back to Cityrail, who had
>previously devoted 15 or 20 years service driving suburbans (or even
>longer), should be considered junior to a trainee ex-guard, or even to
>yourself ???

As far as the sphere of just CityRail goes, yes! Why? Well I will try to
explain...

I have nothing against NR or any other company who has fully-competent
drivers who want to leave and join another railway company such as CityRail.

I *do* have something against these people coming *back* to CityRail after a
few years somewhere else, and these people saying that even though they
*resigned* from their previous position, which *cancels* all their rights
and entitlements, they should be allowed to slot back into the *same*
position they had before they originally resigned, with a continuation of
all their entitlements as though they've never left.

>I totally agree that they should not jump the lists for depot transfers, but
>in all other aspects they already have the runs on the board.

>They are not "new recruits" as you say, they are fully qualified drivers
>with many years (not weeks) experience. Certainly a lot safer for the
>general public than some of the current boy drivers'. (A recent Hornsby
>incident springs to mind).

I completely agree with you. But there is the problem of how do you address
the issue of these people coming back and saying that "just  because we were
here a few years ago means we can just jump back into the ship again" with
no consideration of other people who have come along after they originally
resigned?

>The package being offered by Cityrail to these drivers' (i.e. starting them
>on 1st year drivers' money) is a total insult to the years of service these
>drivers' dedicated to State Rail, and gives no incentive for drivers' to
>transfer back.

Ok, here's what I would do.. I agree with them getting 1st year drivers
money since the did actually resign (not transfer as seems to be the belief
in some circles), but I would let them transfer over their years of service
for long service leave, etc. as a compromise.

So you might think that a driver with 20 years on CityRail, then 5 with NR,
should go straight onto the driver thereafter pay rate... I disagree, but as
a compromise I would:

 - let them transfer back their service record, which automatically
   continues their right to long service leave *for the time they were
   employed with CityRail* (which in my example is 20 years).

 - let them transfer back all their superannuation, except not count the
   time of employement with NR when State Rail calculate it's employer
   contribution at retirement.

Because they are re-joining after a period of resignation, they should not
be entitled to transfer over *any* sick pay or annual leave entitlements
since they are employer-specific provisions.

>BTW, most of these drivers' never actually "resigned" from State Rail, they
>"transferred" to National Rail, there is a difference.

>From all the information I collected about people going to NR, nobody
'transferred' from CityRail to National Rail. There was a condition that
these people resign from State Rail employment, even though they didn't
actually leave the railway industry. They might have 'transferred' their
super, etc. but as far as State Rail is concerned they had left CityRail's
employment permanently at that time.

Regards,

Craig.
-- 
            Craig Ian Dewick            |       Stand clear - jaws closing
 Send email to craigd@lios.apana.org.au |  Visit my Australian rail transport
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