V/Line training changes opposed by union despite payment ‘carrot’

A ROW has erupted over a $1.8 million payment pledge for V/Line staff to secure a yes vote on training changes, but the union says it’s a stealth attack to slash conditions.

V-Line trains at Southern Cross Station.

V/LINE staff have been ­offered a $1.8 million handout of taxpayer funds to vote in favour of new training programs opposed by the rail workers union.

V/Line chief executive James Pinder, in a letter to employees, announced the payment pledge and said no jobs would be lost by introducing what he described as “21st century training technologies”.

“As a demonstration of our commitment to this new approach to training, I have been authorised to make a one-off, tax-free payment of $1500 to every employee covered by the V/Line Operations Enterprise Agreement 2015-2019 should the vote return a majority yes vote,” he wrote.

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V/Line boss James Pinder announced the payment pledge in a letter. Picture: Alison Wynd

There are 1216 employees covered by the enterprise agreement, amounting to $1.824 million in payouts if the vote is successful.

V/Line is a government-owned corporation.

RTBU state secretary Luba Grigorovitch said the new programs could leave inexperienced drivers navigating dangerous sections of track with little more training than a computer simulator.

“V/Line think that by dangling the carrot they can buy the full roast,” she said.

“This bribery is a gross use of funds that should be channelled into better services, not shortsighted visions that ­attack working conditions.

“What V/Line is claiming as a vision in training is proving to have no detail, no substance and no ongoing benefit to our members.

“This is a stealth attack by management to slash ­hard-negotiated conditions.”

V/Line had negotiated the last agreement just 14 months ago, Ms Grigorovitch said.

“To try and delete pages of the EA without consultation or negotiation is atrocious.”

Mr Pinder said V/Line was planning to be Australia’s first rail operator to operate a more streamlined rail-training program.

“It is expected that as well as delivering state-of-the-art training and career-development opportunities for new and existing staff, it will also enable V/Line to deliver training much more effectively and efficiently,” he said.

“In order to implement this important new training initiative, V/Line needs to make some amendments to the current V/Line Operations Enterprise Agreement 2015-2019.

“An incentive payment is not unusual when proposing a change to the employment agreement.”