AMWU members at United Rail Limited in NSW have won an increase in apprentice ratios, better redundancy provisions and improved wages under a new union collective agreement.
Shortly after the agreement was reached, the company announced that it had been awarded a new contract worth $126m to supply coal locomotives and wagons to Queensland Rail.
“It’s fantastic to know that we secured the agreement before the new contract with Queensland Rail was awarded,” said AMWU Metals organiser, Mark Hoban.
“Our members will now be employed under an agreement that provides protection in terms of wages, conditions and job security and there could be an extra 60 people employed who will benefit from this agreement as well.”
Bill Simmons, the AMWU delegate at United Rail, said the members where ecstatic with the outcome.
“I think it’s important, and this often neglected, that we’ve come out on a high from our campaign. It was a good win and we’ve in a better position to influence management on the decision making process in the future,” he said.
“Everyone in the shop thinks so and it’s a foundation we can build on in the future.”
Bill said AMWU members worked hard to increase union membership and unity in the workplace and that helped sustain the campaign.
“Coming into the negotiations we focused a lot on unity and building the shop up so we managed to get 100 per cent union membership including all contractors on site.
There was a lot of unity in the shop and that’s the foundation for having a good campaign.”
Negotiations on the union agreement began over a year ago, when the AMWU members at United Rail rejected a proposed wage rise of 3.75 % over 15 months.
Mark Hoban said the members decided to hold out until they could reach an agreement under the Labor government’s new industrial relations laws.
“The previous agreement expired in March 2009, but our members suspended bargaining until the WorkChoices legislation had been abolished so they could fight for a better deal,” he said.
After holding two days of stoppages outside the United Rail workshop in Chullora in January, the AMWU members have now secured a deal which provides for an 8 % wage increase over 26 months.
The new agreement also includes redundancy provisions, which was an important factor for members.
“We wanted a commitment on redundancies,” said Bill Simmonds. “In the present circumstances it’s important to have a redundancy provision to fall back on.”
He said the agreement also provides improved workplace classification structures for career advancement.
“We managed to restructure the competency system to get better career paths for our members. We inserted a new level in the structure so our members will have more opportunities to progress in the company.”
In terms of the future of manufacturing, one of the most positive outcomes from the new agreement is the commitment to increase apprentice ratios at United Rail Limited.
Under the new agreement, the company has made a commitment to employ four new apprentices this year. These four new apprentices will now have the chance to gain experience and build a career within the rail industry
“Under the new collective agreement there’s a provision so that if the company turns over more than $5million a year they will take on an additional apprentice,” said Bill.
“That will allow us to take on four apprentices this year. Starting next month the company will employ two fitters and two electricians.”
It’s estimated the company will have to create up to 60 jobs to fulfil the new contract to provide trains and locomotives to Queensland Rail.
Bill hopes that these 60 new employees will recognise the benefits of entering a unionised workplace.
“The new workers will be walking into a union shop, a good organised shop,” he said.
“They’re all potential members and we’ll be looking to recruit them. We’re 100 per cent union and the management have no qualms about that. They know the shop is strong and we’ll organised. We’re a disciplined and well organised unit and that’s why the company values us and why we’ve got this new agreement.”