Better Transport for NSW - Rail, Tram and Bus Union of NSW

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BETTER TRANSPORT FOR NSW Case Study: A day in the life of a Station Attendant 5. Respecting the People Who Provide the Services Workers are the lifeblood of the network. Without a motivated workforce that takes pride in their job, services will always be substandard. In order to attract the best people to the industry and to maintain services at a high standard, decent pay and fair workplace conditions are crucial. This means enabling workers to negotiate fair wage rises and conditions that keep pace with inflation and the cost of living – and having access to an independent body that can mediate between workers and employers to achieve an equitable outcome. Lop-sided Industrial Relations Laws The O’Farrell government’s IR legislation – which caps annual pay rises to below inflation levels and aims to erode workers conditions by linking any pay rise above 2.5% to cost-savings – is sending a message to transport workers that their contribution is not valued, nor valuable. With the Industrial Relations Commission required to consent to government policy, there is no longer an independent umpire in disputes over wages and conditions, which means that NSW workers no longer have legal recourse when dealing with employers. These laws are a major disincentive for people to stay in the industry – and will discourage potential industry recruits. Human Capital The high degree of passion, experience and professionalism of transport employees is a significant asset to the NSW transport system. The recent work by CityRail train drivers on the assessment and validation procedures for the troubled Waratah trains is an example of front-line staff working with management to solve complex problems and develop high-quality procedures. Drivers are regularly called upon to discuss operational matters and give expert advice, which is then incorporated into policies and procedures. This level of commitment and knowledge not only adds to the creation of a positive work culture, it adds tangible value through productivity and performance increases across the transport network. “Working on a railway station isn’t easy – especially at smaller stations where you can be a one-person act. “You can be there all day by yourself, managing whatever the railway system throws at you. Opening up a small station at 8am, the first thing to do is clean up the mess from the previous night. Empty beer bottles, half-eaten food, vomit and urine stains are just some of the things that are probably waiting for you. You update the board so people can see when the next trains are due to arrive. “Then you open up the ticket window to start serving the passengers, and don’t stop until closing time. During a slow period, you try to duck out to clean up any mess on the platforms. When passenger in a wheelchair arrives, you rush out from the ticket window to help them get on or off the train. But you know that every time you leave the ticket window an angry customer is going to be waiting for you when you get back. “RailCorp says that ticket sellers aren’t needed any more, because people can use ticket machines. But I can tell you, a lot of people don’t like using them, and many won’t use them at all. Machines can’t give advice on what train to catch, where to change to another line, what platform to go to, or where the nearest RTA office is. They’re the sort of questions I get asked all day long. I’m an information service as much as anything else. “By late afternoon you’ve got school kids running amok all over the place. The worst thing is when they run across the tracks. If you don’t see them, there’s nothing you can do except hope. The worst time though is ‘happy hour’ – when the drunks come stumbling out of the pubs on Friday and Saturday evenings. I’ve often seen groups of eight to ten blokes standing around drinking alcohol, swearing and urinating on the platform in front of ladies and children. “These days, things are getting tougher. With fewer staff on stations, and more passengers using trains all the time, it’s harder to juggle everything at once. “We’re trained in first aid, so if there’s an assault or if someone is sick we can provide help while the paramedics are on their way. But once the station’s closed, passengers are on their own, with only CCTV to keep an eye on them. “Of course, there’s a good side to the job as well. In smaller stations I get to know the regulars. I’m proud of the work I do, and the contribution I make to Sydney’s transport system. But a little more help would be greatly appreciated.” 16 RAIL, TRAM AND BUS UNION - BETTER TRANSPORT FOR NSW
BETTER TRANSPORT FOR NSW Funding a Better Transport System While any discussion about the transport needs of NSW will elicit a number of solutions, finding ways to pay for these solutions is not so easy. RTBU understands that projects must be paid for, and that Governments do not have access to a bottomless pool of money. The need to find new and innovative ways to fund infrastructure is therefore a critical issue that must be addressed as a priority. The RTBU’s discussions with industry experts have uncovered a number of potential mechanisms for infrastructure funding. While there is no ‘silver bullet’ that will unlock access to limitless finance, put together these mechanisms would expand the State Government’s capacity to invest in infrastructure. Most importantly, this could be achieved without resorting to widespread public asset sales – which would hand over control of vital public infrastructure to multinational companies. Debt Funding A new approach to government debt is required. In recent years, Governments at all levels have become scared of debt, and beholden to the policy prescriptions of international credit rating agencies. The justification for the debt phobia is usually made through a comparison with ‘balancing the household budget’. The metaphor does not make sense – Governments are not households, they have access to large and reliable taxation revenues, and are entirely capable of making long-term investment decisions. Another oft-used excuse for not borrowing is the perceived risk to the State’s credit rating. Given that the very purpose of a credit rating is to access cheaper credit, this reasoning also fails to pass the common sense test. A more sensible approach to debt funding for transport projects would allow the State Government to bring many of its planned transport infrastructure projects forward. The new approach to debt should also incorporate new ways of attracting private investment into transport projects. In particular, Australia’s massive pool of superannuation savings could be used to partially fund key transport projects. Of course, these investments need to be made on a commercial basis – and more work must be done to develop a partnership model that allows for super funds to get involved in projects such as new rail lines. In the meantime, however, funding which could be going into vital projects to improve the productivity of Australian cities, and to stimulate local jobs and economic growth, is disappearing into other investments. Waratah Bonds The RTBU supports the NSW State Government initiative for Government-backed bonds for infrastructure development. RTBU believes that more can be done to promote these bonds, especially as medium to long-term investment for workers in the broader transport and infrastructure sectors. One option for the expansion of Waratah Bonds would be to enable workers in the broader transport and infrastructure sectors to convert accrued leave entitlements into bonds. This would not only allow workers greater flexibility in how to spend their leave entitlements, it would also assist employers in the transport and infrastructure sector (including NSW Government entities) to reduce their unfunded leave liabilities. Building Australia Fund The Federal Government has an important role to play in funding key infrastructure projects in Australian cities through the Building Australia Fund. RTBU believes the size of this fund should be increased, but it is also essential that the State Government provides a clear strategic plan for the future growth of its major cities. It is imperative that the Federal and State Government work together cooperatively. The current stalemate between the Federal Government and the State Government over priorities for urban rail infrastructure funding is counter-productive. The RTBU is concerned that the political focus on individual projects had distracted attention from the overall needs of the metropolitan rail network. In particular, capacity constraints will limit the ability of the network to meet future demand. The expansion of the network into North West and South West demand will exacerbate these demand pressures. The RTBU believes Federal funding for the Epping-Parramatta link should be redirected to urgent capacity building projects to ensure the network continues to function efficiently and effectively. A second harbour crossing, for example, would overcome a significant bottleneck on the system and enable more trains to travel from the North West Rail Link into the CBD. Greater use of superannuation funds Unlocking Australian’s trillion-dollar superannuation sector would provide massive opportunities for funding transport infrastructure projects. The impediments that deter superannuation funds from investing in Australian infrastructure are complex. Governments at State and Federal level, along with the infrastructure and superannuation sectors, need to work together to overcome these impediments. • The creation of attractive infrastructure-based investment products for Australian superannuation funds; and • A long-term pipeline of infrastructure projects, to provide certainty and stability for superannuation managers. Restart NSW Fund RTBU supports the establishment of the Restart NSW Fund to underpin investment in transport infrastructure projects. A number of existing funding streams which are currently swallowed by the State’s Consolidated Fund could be redirected into this specificpurpose fund. Some of the mechanisms which could be used to grow the Restart NSW fund are briefly outlined below: RAIL, TRAM AND BUS UNION - BETTER TRANSPORT FOR NSW 17
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Better Transport for NSW - Rail, Tram and Bus Union of NSW

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