Freight Rail, Safety, Standards & Regulation, Workforce, Certification & Training

Aurizon reaches deal with half of Queensland workforce

Aurizon Train

Roughly 1700 of Aurizon’s staff could soon be under a new long term enterprise agreement (EA), after unions and the rail operator reached an in-principle agreement on Thursday.

Aurizon is engaged in a protracted bargaining saga with several unions over the replacement of 12 expired EAs. Together, the expired deals covered around 3500 staff, including 1700 train crew and operations staff, and 1800 construction and maintenance workers.

A new EA has been agreed to, in principle, covering train and operations staff.

The proposed Train Crew and Transport Operators EA includes a 4% pay increase each year for three years, in return for “significant productivity enhancements and enhanced work flexibility including modern rostering practices,” Aurizon said on Thursday.

The EA also includes the removal of the ‘no forced redundancy’ provision.

Also under the deal, rail passes will be removed for the majority of employees. Passes held by employees with more than 25 years of service will be valid for long distance travel until 2018.

Aurizon announced the in-principle deal in a short statement.

“The in-principle agreement is not yet binding on the parties and is subject to more detailed documentation, a formal ballot of employees and approval of the Fair Work Commission,” the company said.

“Subject to final drafting, it is intended that the new Train Crew and Transport Operators EA will be distributed to employees by the end of June, with employee briefings and a formal ballot to be held during July.

“Pending a positive vote, the new Train Crew and Transport Operators agreement would then be lodged with the Fair Work Commission, seeking implementation in August.”

Aurizon also hopes to reach a deal covering the remaining 1800 employees, the Construction and Maintenance EA.

While expired EAs typically remain in place until they are renewed, Aurizon secured permission from the Fair Work Commission in April to cancel expired EAs.

Shortly after an appeal of that decision by the unions was heard in the Federal Court, Aurizon boss Lance Hockridge announced that the company had chosen to exercise that right, and cancelled the old EAs.

This means the 3500 workers formerly covered by those EAs have only been covered by the Rail Industry Award (2010), the National Employment Standards, and individual contracts, since May 21.