Re: Driver Qualifications.

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

Eddie Oliver <eoliver@efs.mq.edu.au> wrote in message
37E21217.F2F5908C@efs.mq.edu.au">news:37E21217.F2F5908C@efs.mq.edu.au...
> Railway Rasputin wrote:
>
> > Just say for example that I drive my train to Cronulla, my depot is
> > Central. At Central depot (for this exercise) we don't normally stable
> > in the sidings but we are still quallified for the yard even though we
> > haven't been in for, say, a year. Do you think I am going to remember
> > 100% of the shit I'm supposed to know, ie the signal number that the
> > half pilot staff is on? I don't think so.
>
> Perhaps not, but that raises a separate question, i.e. what IS the
> appropriate information for road qualifications. Why SHOULD one have to
> remember the NUMBER of the signal that the half pilot staff is on? The
> important thing is to remember the LOCATION of that signal, and that
> doesn't take much remembering at all.
>
> It is probably long overdue that there be a review of what is required
> for road qualification, and the issue which started this thread may be a
> useful trigger for that.
>
> Eddie Oliver

In my opinion, the whole question of Enginemen's qualifications should be
reviewed, I don't believe the standards as such should be watered down,
however things like road knowledge, safeworking qualification (length of
time after which if not worked accreditation runs out) need to be addressed.

I once remember a former union official (later NRC boss) addressing a
Divisional Conference (Vic) of the AFULE stating that "We don't over train
Drivers but we sometimes over RETRAIN them".

I believe there is a lot of truth in that statement.

Retraining has become the means of empire building, securing cushy jobs for
people in the training area. This doesn't just apply to railways, I would
say its everywhere in industry. However an example in the railways would be
the case of a driver about twelve months ago who had transfered
(temporarily) from the sparks to V/Line to act as a second person during a
busy period, he worked at Sth Dynon for about 2 months then transfered back
to the sparks, 6 months later he applied for and got a Driving job with
V/line Pass and transfered back to the deisels, where he had to undergo
retraining, firstly he had to spend over a month requalifing as a Second
Person before he could start his driver training, yet about 6 months before
he had done the job on transfer without any retraining. There are a lot of
instances like this out there!!!

Bob.