Victorian tram and train drivers fight for a pay rise

Do Victorian tram or train drivers deserve a pay rise?

  • Yes

    Votes: 6 22.2%
  • No

    Votes: 21 77.8%

  • Total voters
    27
Metro, a subsidiary of Hong Kong-based rail operator MTR, was paid $1.188 billion in subsidies for operating Melbourne's suburban rail network in 2013-14. It made an after-tax profit of $46.22 million, documents filed to financial regulator ASIC reveal, of which $39.29 million was paid in dividends to its shareholders.

Yeah Metro are doing okay.
 

Herne Hill Hammer

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I'd be happy to provide the link Kynge of Begrem got his figures from. Sorry, I couldn't find it navigating FWA.

For now I'll just add the figures are inflated if you consider regular overtime and weekend shifts.

Are the weekend shifts voluntary or part of the regular roster?

I worked as a prison officer for a few years, the base was pretty average but you were rostered on up to 30 weekends per year and did afternoon and nightshift. The penalties bumped the base up around $20k and then there was almost unlimited o/t on top of that if you wanted it.
 

bombersfan4000

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Having reviewed the enterprise agreement that covers ticket inspectors (Yarra Trams Enterprise Agreement 2012 - Operations), I am not sure where the $89,000 p.a. figure comes from, unless it is based on an employee who works regular night shifts/weekends and is in receipt of the corresponding loadings.
it will be a case of one bloke who worked night shift & weekends earned that amount of money, so he will be used as an example to grab people attention, so people think every tram and train driver earns that money!
when you consider the nut jobs in the public now days and the responsibility the driver has, they deserve good money
 

Kynge of Begrem

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Lester Burnham

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I think the reason that the notification was so far in advance was due to FWC orders when the protected action ballot was granted, also, I suspect that the calling off of the proposed action was more to do with todays hearings at the FWC and the Federal Court.
Called it off because it saved the embarrassment of having FWC call it illegal.
 

little graham

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$90k a year for a dropkick ticket inspector? Is this a joke it should be half of that

That shits me. Thats serious coin, they should have more respect for passengers. Anyone receiving a phuqing good wage should be thankful for the people they're paid to deal with.
 
The figures quoted for train drivers are always what they can earn with overtime and penalty rates. But it's a pretty basic job. Any high school failure could do it. They do have to cope with people occasionally jumping in front of their trains but they get a decent cash payment plus a couple of weeks off to help them get over it.

18% pay rise over three years is ******* ridiculous. It is twice what any private company is paying.

I'll simply assume you've never been doing your job and had someone commit suicide by jumping in front of you.
In terms of the phrase occasional. ..it is far more common than occasional.
A couple of weeks to "get over it" - really ffs

18% is what they're asking, they'll take 12% or something with some other conditions changed to save face to their members.
 
I don't think the suicides would be any worse than those of nurses or even aged care workers.

And it's a job where you can't help but develop an emotional attachment, and at least for nurses, a job that requires more skill.
 
I don't think the suicides would be any worse than those of nurses or even aged care workers.

And it's a job where you can't help but develop an emotional attachment, and at least for nurses, a job that requires more skill.

In terms of profession..nurses are in a profession where they attend to and adminster treatment to help / assist in recovery. The profession as a whole rotates staff to ensure minimal emotional attachments evolve.
Working with elderly as a choice you know they will sadly pass away at some stage.

As a train driver you transport passangers, under no circumstances in their job description is you will sadly have to deal with regular suicide attempts and even more sadly regular succesful suicides.

Comparing the 3 professions is naive and so far off the mark its embarrassing

My 5c worth
 
In terms of profession..nurses are in a profession where they attend to and adminster treatment to help / assist in recovery. The profession as a whole rotates staff to ensure minimal emotional attachments evolve.
Working with elderly as a choice you know they will sadly pass away at some stage.

As a train driver you transport passangers, under no circumstances in their job description is you will sadly have to deal with regular suicide attempts and even more sadly regular succesful suicides.

Comparing the 3 professions is naive and so far off the mark its embarrassing

My 5c worth
Isn't the mere fact that we are acknowledging that train drivers experience suicides means that it is now part of the job description as much as a patient dying would be to a nurse.
 
Isn't the mere fact that we are acknowledging that train drivers experience suicides means that it is now part of the job description as much as a patient dying would be to a nurse.

Not imo

As a nurse you are taught to deal with trauma from the 1st year as a student. You spend 3 or 4 years learning how to deal with death and all the emotions expected with it.
Most of the public have no idea whatboccurs on train lines on a daily basis.

I'm not advocating the 18% pay rise by any means, good luck to them if they can get it, but there is a hidden aspect to their jobs that very few experience in real life
 

Whit3y

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the person on minimum wage, under 20 dollars a hour just shakes there head at these industries that always want a pay rise

its either nurses, teachers, fire fighters and now tram drivers
 

NetworkNerd

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AFL Member so all clubs I guess.
Apparently Tram drivers clear 80-100K

Many uni graduates would dream of that sort of wage (not to mention 3-5 years of HELP debt they would have accumulated)

Bunch of greedy workers fed crap from their union. Look at manufacturing and what happened when those workers got used to feeding from a trough of allowances and penalty rates.
 
the person on minimum wage, under 20 dollars a hour just shakes there head at these industries that always want a pay rise

its either nurses, teachers, fire fighters and now tram drivers
So they shouldn't want higher pay because there are people on minimum wage earning less than them? Perhaps you can explain that logic.
 
Apparently Tram drivers clear 80-100K

Many uni graduates would dream of that sort of wage (not to mention 3-5 years of HELP debt they would have accumulated)

Bunch of greedy workers fed crap from their union. Look at manufacturing and what happened when those workers got used to feeding from a trough of allowances and penalty rates.
So they're going to send the trams and trains overseas are they?
 
Nov 23, 2000
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Apparently Tram drivers clear 80-100K

Many uni graduates would dream of that sort of wage (not to mention 3-5 years of HELP debt they would have accumulated)

Bunch of greedy workers fed crap from their union. Look at manufacturing and what happened when those workers got used to feeding from a trough of allowances and penalty rates.
No worries.Lets work for $2 and hour and be exploited by employers.Only if the Govt brings the cost of living down by 98% as well.
 

gimp!

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Apparently Tram drivers clear 80-100K

Many uni graduates would dream of that sort of wage (not to mention 3-5 years of HELP debt they would have accumulated)

Bunch of greedy workers fed crap from their union. Look at manufacturing and what happened when those workers got used to feeding from a trough of allowances and penalty rates.

You are way off. A driver working nights or split shifts, working on their days off and public holidays might gross that much. I've been involved in the industry for a couple of years now and communicate regularly with drivers.
 
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