Bus driver pay 'already covers weekend work'

[Bus 400]

Bus driver pay 'already covers weekend work'
Updated 11 hours 52 minutes ago

Unions say ACTION bus drivers are being asked to work a total of 200 hours overtime a day. (ABC News: Clarissa Thorpe)

Pay negotiations between Canberra bus drivers and the ACT Government have hit a new hurdle.

The Transport Workers Union (TWU) wants ACTION drivers who work weekends to be paid a 15 per cent loading for their entire five day shift.

Chief Minister Jon Stanhope says drivers' wages already include payments for weekend work.

"We've already negotiated a composite rate," he said.

"We've already incorporated into that $30 an hour rate that we pay bus drivers, an allowance for the fact that they will work or will be required from time to time to work on weekends. That's the current agreement."

Mr Stanhope says the union is not willing to compromise or negotiate.

"It seems unreasonable when we say let's move to a seven day shift and for the union, on behalf of the drivers, to come back and say we're not prepared to talk about a seven day shift without essentially a pay rise of 15 per cent across the board," he said.

"That's just completely unreasonable and doesn't take into account that we're already paying a composite rate."

TWU spokesman Klaus Pinkas says the composite rate does not include penalties for working weekends.

"If they already get paid a penalty for shifts that include weekend work, why aren't they working it now? We've been to the commission over this over many years and the Commissioner says 'no you don't'.

"So quite obviously the composite rate does not include a weekend shift penalty.

"What it does include is if you volunteer to work weekends then you get the composite rate, the same rate as if you work during the week."

Mr Pinkas says chronic staff shortages are the underlying problem.

He says drivers are being asked to work a total of 200 hours of overtime a day.

"The guys are working that much extra work during the week, that they do not want to work 60 or 70 hours a week or they run up against fatigue laws where they cannot work on the weekends," he said.

"That is the fundamental issue at ACTION, is that they are understaffed.

"That is an issue that they've been trying to address recently, recruiting. But when they brought out this new bus network in November, they were 29 drivers short on it. They hadn't done the maths on it."

Mr Pinkas says ACTION has been chronically understaffed since Territory and Municipal Services regained control of the bus service.

The article & links to 666 ABC Radio interviews with Jon Stanhope & Klaus Pinkas can be found at http://www.abc.net.au/news/stories/2011/01/04/3105907.htm

[Buzz Killington]

This is generating a bit of discussion on Riot ACT also http://the-riotact.com/sensing-weakness-action-drivers-move-in-for-the-kill/34807

[belcodriver]

Thankfully there seem to be more people supporting us on RiotACT this time around.

[belcodriver]

Of course the site owner Johnboy and his crew of right wing regulars are just as against us as ever.

[Bus 400]

I still don't get why Canberra needs a 7 day timetable. The only really popular route is the 900 between Woden & Belconnen. Otherwise the patronage doesn't warrant it.

The best you could do is maybe a few tweaks to the weekend network such as a 950 Red Rapid from City to Gungahlin only (with a possible extension to Belconnen & the 956 merging with the 951/952-Passengers would transfer at Gungahlin for the 950) & possibly shortening routes like the 905 (it is a very long trip for Dunlop residents) & shortening/lengthening other routes. But a full scale network would be like what the modified Christmas week timetable was, with the 300 packed & suburban runs mostly transporting air.
With the small weekend network, a weekend shift once every 2 to 3 weeks could be worked into each shift, but if the driver was unable to conduct those duties, they could then be able to find another driver who wished to help out. Failing that they would have to work that shift.

A pay structure could be worked out with a set hours of 40 a week. The next 8 could be at double time & the rest at time & a half. I am unsure how the ACTION pay is worked out, but that is how my work does it & it seems easy enough.

[ajw373]

I still don't get why Canberra needs a 7 day timetable. The only really popular route is the 900 between Woden & Belconnen. Otherwise the patronage doesn't warrant it.

It has nothing what so ever to do with a 7 day TIMETABLE, but rostering on a 7 day working week.

The best you could do is maybe a few tweaks to the weekend network such as a 950 Red Rapid from City to Gungahlin only (with a possible extension to Belconnen & the 956 merging with the 951/952-Passengers would transfer at Gungahlin for the 950) & possibly shortening routes like the 905 (it is a very long trip for Dunlop residents) & shortening/lengthening other routes. But a full scale network would be like what the modified Christmas week timetable was, with the 300 packed & suburban runs mostly transporting air.

Not really part of the issue, could be done anyway.

With the small weekend network, a weekend shift once every 2 to 3 weeks could be worked into each shift, but if the driver was unable to conduct those duties, they could then be able to find another driver who wished to help out. Failing that they would have to work that shift.

Indeed this is true though with the amount of weekend work probably more like 1 in 4!

A pay structure could be worked out with a set hours of 40 a week. The next 8 could be at double time & the rest at time & a half. I am unsure how the ACTION pay is worked out, but that is how my work does it & it seems easy enough.

That is how some workplaces do it, however some incorporate shift loading into their base rates. For example where I work (Fed Gov department) if I am a nominated shift worker I get a flat percentage (think it is something like 17%) for all work done, be it a Monday, Sunday, public holiday, except Christmas which is treated seperatly and paid at tripple time. Where I used to work, (Defence department) I worked shift and got penalties based on actual days and hours worked. There were always a few tricks to ensure extra hours worked on Sundays which was good for the pay packet!

As I understand it though this is the crux of the debate. The government is saying that the base rate that was previously negotiated actually includes a flat percentage for weekend work, whereas the union is saying not so.

I, like most of us though have no idea what the truth is, so lets ask the question to the drivers here, and please answers in all honesty. Has weekend "loading" already been incorporated into the base rate?

If so then clearly this is double dipping, if not then clearly it is a fair enough request.

[The Love Guru]

The real issue here is that the government wants to change some of the conditions in the agreement without compensating the drivers for doing so. At present, the composite rate includes voluntary weekend work. They want to change this to rostered/compulsory weekend work but are unwilling to negotiate a higher pay rate for doing so.

Asking drivers to work weekends when it suits them is one thing, forcing them to work regardless of other commitments is totally different, and this is the main sticking point in the debate.

There is a lot propaganda and false statements being floated around at the moment, be nice if those involved would just tell the truth so everyone can move on.

[Barry Drive]

The current agreement covers the current working conditions. With Enterprise Bargaining you negotiate a new agreement and that sets new working conditions. There is nothing wrong with either party seeking to modify the conditions.

The fact that "(the) $30 an hour rate that we pay bus drivers (includes) an allowance for the fact that they will work or will be required from time to time to work on weekends" doesn't matter. That's the current agreement. If he wants a new agreement which includes rostered (or forced) weekend work, then that becomes a new agreement - all conditions of the current agreement have to be re-negotiated and agreed to afresh.

Also, Stanhope needs to learn what the word "agreement" means. If he offers drivers a paltry 2.5% pay rise (which the rest of the ACT Public Service has already received) on the condition that weekend work will be rostered without any additional compensation, then he will quickly learn that employees have to agree to any offer made in order for it to be implemented - he is not in a position to enforce this on drivers, despite what he seems to think.

[ajw373]

The fact that "(the) $30 an hour rate that we pay bus drivers (includes) an allowance for the fact that they will work or will be required from time to time to work on weekends" doesn't matter. That's the current agreement. If he wants a new agreement which includes rostered (or forced) weekend work, then that becomes a new agreement - all conditions of the current agreement have to be re-negotiated and agreed to afresh.

True it is a new agreement. However, to negotiate a new agreement you need entitlements to negotiate with. If you that was negotiated away last time in return for a higher rate, then it is very rich to ask for the same thing a second time.

Know I will get flamed, but trying to keep sensible neutral hat on, which is something usually lost in debates such as this.

[The Love Guru]

True it is a new agreement. However, to negotiate a new agreement you need entitlements to negotiate with. If you that was negotiated away last time in return for a higher rate, then it is very rich to ask for the same thing a second time.

Know I will get flamed, but trying to keep sensible neutral hat on, which is something usually lost in debates such as this.

This wasn't "negotiated away" last time. The current agreement says that weekends are on a non-rostered basis, it is all overtime and it is treated as such. To roster weekends as part of a drivers regular hours will require additional payment. A majority of drivers must agree to pass any new agreement, and i don't know of anyone that would change their work hours from mon-fri to 7 days without receiving a single thing in return.

[ajw373]

Chris, you missed my use of the word IF in what I wrote. As I understand it though that it the crux of the argument. On the one hand the government is saying all weekend penalties were negotiated away last time and the unions saying it was overtime penalties rates (if I read what your saying correctly).

Hopefully somone actually has the truth recorded away somewhere.

[belcodriver]

Talking to some long-serving drivers they said rostered weekends were abolished in 92. They then became voluntary with time and a half for Saturdays, double time for Sundays and double time and a half for public holidays. The composite rate came in in 94, weekends remained voluntary, penalties were abolished. The previous system of rostered weekends didn't involve all drivers working some weekends rather some drivers always worked Wednesday-Sunday for example with I believe a 15% loading for the whole week. There were also relief shifts that covered several shifts' weekdays off.

While Stanhope himself can't impose an agreement the Work Choices II tribunal (sorry Fair Work Australia) can impose a settlement if the parties can't agree. I haven't heard of this happening yet given FWA is fairly new but needless to say I expect the deck is well and truly stacked against the workers.

[Barry Drive]

Which confirms what's been said all along:

(a) the composite rate was agreed based on Weekend work being voluntary;

(b) the composite rate includes the time-and-a-half and double-time rates but did not include a loading for being rostered to work weekends.

As I understand it though that it the crux of the argument. On the one hand the government is saying all weekend penalties were negotiated away last time and the unions saying it was overtime penalties rates (if I read what your [sic] saying correctly).

Therefore the only weekend penalties which applied when the composite rate came in was the overtime rate.

Among the many questions yet to be answered is how would rostered weekends work - which shift categories do they apply to: full time/part time, broken/straight, permanent days/nights/5 day 5 nights; how would they apply to floaters - would floaters have right to opt out of rostered weekends; would weekend work count towards superannuation and leave entitlements; would there be flexibility to swap weekend work or use banked hours; how would rostered weekend drivers bank hours at all; what proportion of weekend shifts would be rostered; would all drivers (including casuals) still have the ability to (voluntarily) work weekends.

[Barry Drive]

It has nothing what so ever to do with a 7 day TIMETABLE, but rostering on a 7 day working week.

Actually, it does. To run the current weekday network on weekends will require more shifts and the only way for them to be filled is to roster some (or all) of those weekend shifts.

But this would probably require more drivers and/or more full time drivers (due to the need to have days off during the week for those rostered on weekends).