Pacific National tries to divide its workforce - no consultation

Pacific National employees are alarmed, and when the Rail Tram & Bus Union discovered what was happening, a forceful objection was made to the company.

On Monday September 9, 2002, RTBU NSW Branch Secretary Nick Lewocki and National Secretary Roger Jowett met with Pacific National, after the union became aware of the situation.

Pacific National had never mentioned the Appointment Agreements over several months of negotiations for a new FreightCorp EBA. There has been no consultation on Appointment Agreements with the union.

The RTBU thoroughly compared the AA with the Enterprise Agreement, and prepared an information sheet for members.

At the same time, the union surveyed members by phone to find out their reactions to the AAs and what they expected the union to do. Some members reported pressure to sign the AAs, despite the management line that it was a free choice.

Pacific National argued to the union that they were just copying existing provisions in the FreightCorp Enterprise Agreement, and that they wanted these special agreements with employees who were involved in forming the company's objectives or who used commercially sensitive information in their work.

Some members reported being told that if they did not sign the agreement, they would no longer be given access to "commercially sensitive information".

PN is using the AAs in three ways:

• creating an "us and them" mentality among supervisory and professional employees, against operational and maintenance workers;

• defining the union and collective bargaining as dangers to the company;

• enticing supervisory and professional employees to become even more 'flexible' in return for a promise of an 'incentive bonus' scheme.

The AAs take away certain benefits now provided in the FreightCorp and National Rail EAs and roll benefits, especially 'reasonable overtime' into a "Total Remuneration Package'.

Employees lose the right to specific leave categories, and to an RDO, and instead have to ask their Manager, whose decision is final.