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Activist #4, 2015 Rail & Maritime Transport Union Volume 2015 # 4 Published Regularly - ISSN 1178-7392 (Print & Online) 17 April 2015 https://www.facebook.com/events/1582054 INAUGURAL WOMEN’S FORUM 735381027/ An RMTU Woman’s Forum is being held in Wellington 21 and 22 April 2015. CALL FOR NOMINATIONS – “This is a major event for the Union as for GENERAL SECRETARY the first time a meeting of RMTU women In accordance with Rule 24 of the Rules from one end of NZ to the other will be in & Standing Orders of the Rail & Maritime Wellington for two days to talk about all Transport Union nominations are hereby issues impacting upon women members of called for the full time position of the Union”. General Secretary. Wayne Butson said “There is an exciting Nomination Forms are available from the lineup of inspiring women speakers from RMTU National Office by contacting Julia overseas and NZ Ports, Police and Women’s on 04-499-2066, fax 04-471-0896 or Refuge to name a few but the most sought [email protected]. after voices at the Forum will be those of our women members”. Nominations shall be in writing and contain the signed consent of the A full report will be published in Issue 2 of candidate, and be proposed and the Transport Worker. seconded by financial members (Rule 1) of the Union. JOIN THE Nominations must PROTEST be received by the National Returning Our friends in Officer at the National Office of the Rail the Greens Party have & Maritime Transport Union, PO Box organised a facebook page and protest 1103 Wellington 6140 no later than event to decry the possible withdrawal of th 1700hrs. on Monday 17 April 2015. The the class 30 electric locomotives and the term of office is 4 years (Rule 24.1) and mothballing or removal of the electric the duties are as contained in Rule 29 of traction system between Palmerston North the Union’s Rules and Standing Orders. and Te Rapa. For the information of members it is The details are; advised that the incumbent will be Join Julie Anne Genter MP to tell seeking re-election. KiwiRail, ‘Don’t ditch our electric Howard Phillips trains!’ National Returning Officer When: Wednesday 22nd April, 8am-9am Where: KiwiRail, 8-14 Stanley St, BAY OF PLENTY PORT BRANCH Auckland. Click for map TRAINING 23-24 APRIL We urge you and your mates, family etc to We’re running a two day training session sign up to the facebook page which can be next week for our delegates in the Tauranga found at: port branch next week. General Secretary Wayne Butson, Auckland Organiser Stu 2 www.rmtunion.org.nz The Activist Johnstone and South Island Organiser John “Rail patronage in Auckland set a new record Kerr will join Bay of Plenty Organiser Phil in March 2015 – 1.56 million trips – and so Spanswick in facilitating this training. did bus patronage and trips on the Northern Busway. The Government needs to show Given the focus on negotiations at that it’s taking notice,” said Ms Genter. Tauranga this year this training is an invaluable opportunity for our key delegates to understand the wider issues CHANGES TO KIWISAVER surrounding bargaining in the industry and There are changes underway to KiwiSaver, their port. to make it easier for people to use their KiwiSaver to assist with purchasing their first GOVT BLIND TO SOARING home. Changes include being able to PUBLIC TRANSPORT USE IN withdraw the Government tax credit, making available more funds. Early withdrawals will AUCKLAND be allowed to cover such things as paying a deposit. This is all positive, but we believe it The Government should take note of huge does not go far enough. We believe that increases in Auckland’s public transport KiwiSaver providers should be in the patronage figures released today by mortgage market, providing second Auckland Transport and bring forward mortgage finance to first home buyers. funding for the City Rail Link, the Green Party said. It would work something like this: the borrower will use their “The Government should stop 5% deposit from KiwiSaver, a delaying and fund the City bank loan to borrow 80% and will Rail Link immediately,” Green use their KiwiSaver provider for Party transport spokesperson the remaining 15% by way of a Julie Anne Genter said. second mortgage. “The Green Party will be This is positive for the KiwiSaver looking for significant provider as second mortgages will provide a increases in public transport infrastructure higher return than Government or local investment in Budget 2015. Anything less council bonds and it will provide some asset is short-changing hundreds of thousands of diversification. commuters. “At the current rate, Auckland will reach the NATIONAL MUST TAKE ACTION patronage target needed for Government City Rail Link funding three years ahead of ON SPECULATORS schedule in 2017. The Government must take action on “The Government is forcing Aucklanders to property speculators who are damaging the wait for vital infrastructure investment even housing market and shutting families and though public transport patronage figures young people out of the home ownership show that there’s a clear need for dream, Labour Leader Andrew Little says. immediate investment. “There are a number of options the “There were a million more public transport Government could take to prevent property boardings in March 2015 than in March speculators building up large housing 2014 in Auckland. This kind of growth portfolios and pushing up house prices. means investment in public transport “At the moment first home buyers or those infrastructure must begin straight away. who want a rental property for retirement “The National Government is too busy with are being shut out of the market by lending one lane bridges and expensive motorway restrictions that should be targeted at projects to realise that the best way to get property speculators who sometimes own 10 cities moving efficiently is investing in to 20 houses and sit on them. public transport. “But the first thing the Government has to do is admit there is a housing crisis. As long 17/04/15 3 www.rmtunion.org.nz The Activist as John Key and Nick Smith keep their Gander a renowned international expert on head in the sand, property speculators will the topic did a major amount of this study run rampant, average house prices in work during the 1980’s. This work saw a Auckland will top $1 million and the home manual written and protections put in place, ownership dream will turn into even more which made some of the insanely bad of a nightmare. rostering practices in place at the time unlawful. The Manual (and other contributing “The solutions need to focus on Auckland. factors) was revisited again as circumstances There is no point in a family trying to buy a arose, for example following the fatal house in Wanganui, where house prices are Waipahi head on train collision in 1999. dropping, being subject to lending restrictions designed to lower house price The latest round of roster optimisation sees inflation. rosters being constructed on the basis of taking work within the roster up to the “One solution could be focussing LVRs on absolute maximum and minimum tolerances Auckland speculators, rather than on the and the total removal of any and all regions, families or first home buyers. recognition of the need for rosters to have a “Another would be those buying multiple mix of work types and hours of work. In our properties needing a higher level of equity view KiwiRail’s approach smacks of looking for subsequent purchases. for the cheapest option. In doing so, the health, and core employment philosophy in “The most important action is to simply our MECA, is being disregarded. A recent build more houses to increase roster review in Wellington saw a supply. The Reserve Bank deputy very good and productive daytime governor was right yesterday to shift removed from the master say the Government is taking far roster to give but one example. too long to get houses built so How does this fit with providing a demand needs to be tackled too. healthy and safe workplace? How “Nick Smith said he has ‘no does this fit with the agreed and magic ideas’ this morning. That’s core philosophies in our MECA, because National won’t even which includes: admit there’s a crisis,” Andrew Little says. Providing a healthy and safe workplace; and HEALTH AND SAFETY, AND OSTERS NDER TTACK Recognising employees’ contributions R , U A and family responsibilities. Currently within KiwiRail Freight a In the recent MECA the parties agreed to merciless struggle is being waged between form working groups to review both the the company and organized labour. A roster freight and passenger Rail Operating optimization project is being undertaken by Manuals. What should have been a co- KiwiRail which is seeing longstanding operative working party will now be a battle working arrangements and “jobs” or shifts ground of positional bargaining by either being reviewed and systematically side, we are picking. In short the job just got abolished. “This is impacting significantly much harder. on the sociability of the rosters, work life balance of workers and their families and The actions of KiwiRail represents a company goes beyond what is fair and reasonable, turning over every stone to find savings – at by a ruthless screwing of the scrum by any cost! That includes at the cost of your Freight” says Wayne Butson. health and safety. In our view the Government has given very clear instruction The Freight Rail Operating Manual to the KiwiRail Board to cut costs and is prescribes the rostering rules for starving the company of funds (yes, money Locomotive Engineers and for yard staff has gone into rail but if you take out the within Freight.
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