have u heard about QR been strike today

yes, made the trip into work a hell of a lot of fun :S

I heard it on the tv - "There was a snap strike" and that was it

Uhm, he's deaf, that's why his english isn't so great, cut him some slack you wang.

Uhm, he's deaf, that's why his english isn't so great, cut him some slack you wang.

:(

My family makes fun of my native tongue accent, and I laugh with them .. hence I don't see what the big deal is.

To contribute, is it just limited to QR or are other services (such as bus, etc) affected as well?

last edited by parabol at 12:02:16 03/Feb/06

The news says it is just rail and they ahve put on more buses

Rail bosses, union in talks on snap strike

Even QR didn't see this one coming :( Motherf***er I was so later for work. If there was no other good reason to get rid of the union, this would have to be it.

sack the lazy bastards

Even QR didn't see this one coming

Yes they did, Infastructure Services Group and Shared Services group have been on strike at 3 of our major Workshops in QLD for the last three days, I spoke to about 40 guys who had to go into work for 30 minutes yesterday only to hear that they were on strike again, and made the effort of getting up at 5 in the morning for nothing.

The drivers are soo fussy, the rest of us are pretty happy with the 4% payrise, especially knowing they will back pay us the raise for the last 3-4 months. I'm so glad im on a RDO today and not having to deal with the s*** that passengers will spit out down at Ipswich, even though they are justified.

Uhm, he's deaf, that's why his english isn't so great, cut him some slack you wang.

I can't see where your coming from.. I don't see any posts that this can refer to or edits ?

Anyway, on the topic.. It's fair enough to strike but to do it at the last minute when the majority of Brisbane don't have time to prepare alternative arrangments means they are selfish pricks.

I had a s*** tonne of work to do today and it's all been delayed because some nancy boys want more money. Deal with it like the rest of us do, work harder, improve your work ethics and all the other bits that justify a pay rise instead of stomping your feet on the ground and crying.

If you are in the union, even tho you have an rdo, you are still on strike so you won't get paid and you lose your rdo!

I'm not in one of the striking unions.

TicMan, the dispute is because QR HR dept. is backing out on one of the parts of our new agreement that they agreed upon when a bargain was settled between our unions, QR and the government. QR has had plenty of time to settle it, like I said...this is the third day of strike, but only the first were train crew have joined in...train crew (drivers and guards) are only really on strike because they're union has told them to.

You need to read a bit more into it.

meh, he will have another rdo next week

Yes they did, Infastructure Services Group and Shared Services group have been on strike at 3 of our major Workshops in QLD for the last three days, I spoke to about 40 guys who had to go into work for 30 minutes yesterday only to hear that they were on strike again, and made the effort of getting up at 5 in the morning for nothing.

There you go, that'll teach me not to belive everything I read on the rags :(

TicMan, the dispute is because QR HR dept. is backing out on one of the parts of our new agreement that they agreed upon when a bargain was settled between our unions, QR and the government. QR has had plenty of time to settle it, like I said...this is the third day of strike, but only the first were train crew have joined in...train crew (drivers and guards) are only really on strike because they're union has told them to.

f***ed if I care to be honest - disruption of services with such a short period of notice is selfish and poor form. I said in my first post, if they want to strike then its their right, but give people the ability to make alternative arrangements instead of springing it on them as they are about to walk out the door to the train station.

If there was no other good reason to get rid of the union, this would have to be it.

That's retarded.

I can't see where your coming from.. I don't see any posts that this can refer to or edits ?

Parabol + Delete button = smarter than you.

That's retarded.

You're right, there're probably more reasons for it.

f***ed if I care to be honest - disruption of services with such a short period of notice is selfish and poor form. I said in my first post, if they want to strike then its their right, but give people the ability to make alternative arrangements instead of springing it on them as they are about to walk out the door to the train station.

by pissing all the commuters off they put more pressure on the employer to agree with the terms the union want. more effective than giving people warning. snap strike ftw

Yeah, it was pretty f***ed. I've been keeping up with news and current events lately and I still had no idea this was to be going ahead today. Rocked up to the train station this morning to see signs that service wouldnt be resuming until midnight. Great.

Fortunately it's only a 5 minute walk from my house so I just went and got a bus instead, but I imagine a lot of people wouldnt have had that luxury. Traffic certainly looked a lot worse.

by pissing all the commuters off they put more pressure on the employer to agree with the terms the union want. more effective than giving people warning. snap strike ftw

That's what the SEQEB union thought ...

My grandad was the head of the QR union back in the 70s.

I reckon unions are old-world rubbish.

You don't need unions these days, they don't work anymore.

They should put all the drivers on commission like cabbies. THEN none of the lazy buggers would go on strike.

They've had it too good for too long, and it's only cos it takes a year to train a train driver that they have the power.

QR is an old fool organisation that needs to move with the times and realise that half hourly services are not often enough.

haha public transport noobs, traffic was gay this morning :(

Mr Hardware, Unions are deffinatly needed in today's day and age, maybe not for your line of work, but what about things like the Building Industry?

Builders will take as many shortcuts as they can on costs, just to save a buck, even if it means the labourers' lifes are put at risk. That's one of the many reasons they're still needed.

Also, for everyone complaining about not having any notice of the strike, I think that's the point... Sure they COULD have their strike for one hour between 3am and 4am when it's not going to put anyone out of their way, but why would they? If their employer thinks they can screw them around, then why not see how well the employer can do without the employees. Power to the people!

If their employer thinks they can screw them around, then why not see how well the employer can do without the employees. Power to the people!

My employer would respond with a big wad of "Thank you letters" on our desks when we returned the next day.

QR is an old fool organisation that needs to move with the times and realise that half hourly services are not often enough.

! Half hourly is often enough, slow down dude, you'll die of a heart attack :/

being a worker in an industry that is unionised, i fully support workers when they strike. its not a case of wah wah we didnt get what we want lets go on strike, strikes are only legal during the protected bargaining period which is AFTER the EBA expires, after the company/government as in 90% of cases choose to let an EBA expire to force people to accept s***ty conditions or risk losing back pay.

i see it time and time again where i work, the company dont even start negotiating with unions until 1 month before expiry with the whole process taking upwards of 6-12 months to complete. i have receieved 6months back pay before. its stupid.

the companies of todays era are always trying to maximise profits, and instead of removing the waste, removing inefficiencies out of the business etc, they target wages. it must be something they teach in university nowadays, maybe some HR uni grads here can elaborate on it, but i see it time and time again, every year the EBA is due for renewel same s***.

now let me ask you lot this, if the government calculates it costs 4% per year extra to 'live' then it did last year, would you be happy with a 3% payrise ? hence losing 1% of a real wage each year ? would you deem it fair to have 1 set of employees who started pre 1997 earning $200 a week more then employees starting post 1997?

no?
well the company i work for did and still does now. we went on strike for a good 4 weeks a couple of years ago due to that dispute. the striking was for the company for be FAIR and equitable which they refused to do for 6 months.

strikes cost workers money, and if its costing you money you cause had better be worth it and thats exactly why people go on strike. show some sympathy you c***s, they provide services for you and even though you were 20 minutes late to work boohoo, theyre trying to ensure they can have a reasonable quality of life for themselves and their families. quite often strikes are the only way the company/government takes notice.

nice work cainer

show some sympathy you c***s, they provide services for you

I doubt people work for the rail in order to provide services to us - they do it because it's a means of getting a wage. besides, how can you call people c***s for being annoyed at this situation?

theyre trying to ensure they can have a reasonable quality of life for themselves and their families.

sure, but they've chosen a method which causes a huge inconvenience for a huge number of people, possibly because they think it's the most effective way they can get what they want - irrespective of the cost to others.

its gets results doesnt it ? i dont hear anyone crying when teachers go on strike. strikes only happen as a last resort. believe it or not, unions don't make unreasonable demands of companies. far from it. alot of you wouldnt know as i'm assuming from what ive read in the past that most of you work in IT where conditions/wages are in all reality, s***, with no union or workplace representation at all. you all have to negotiate with your employer and his team of lawyers for your conditions. who has the upper hand?

heres a current dispute where i work.
the removal of shift penalties, ie 1.5x for sat, 2x for sun/p-hols.
now just think of the word penalty. the company pays a penalty for having workers there at such an unsociable time. you want us to come to work on the weekend, you gotta pay, why should i earn the same as someone who gets weekends off to spend with their families?

companies dont see it that way, they just look at it as an extra cost where they could save $x a year. you are nothing to them, youre a number, all you do is work in the big machine of a company to generate as much profit as possible. as far as theyre concerned, if youre earning $1 thats 99c too much. so why should workers, especially in trade/service areas have to accept below par conditions to carry out work at unsociable times?

its all about the almighty dollar, and the social responsibility of companies has disappeared in the last 15 years ever since the stock market and deregulation of a lot of industries took place.

so if you all think that striking which inconveniences you 20 minutes today is f***ed and theyre all idiots who should be greatful they have a job, think of your kids at least who will be working in conditions like america with a minimum wage of $4 an hour. the forefathers of ours who lead the same battles all those years ago have ensured the conditions we work under today and it seems a majority of you have a very short memory and take everything for granted.

its gets results doesnt it ?

I dunno, but that's not even the point I'm making. Even if it was, does getting results justify it in your mind or something? I really can't see why you even typed that. Maybe if we used your reasoning we could be more sympathetic of terrorists.

i dont hear anyone crying when teachers go on strike.

so? by the way you make your arguments, it doesn't suprise me that you don't hear something if doing so doesn't suit you

why should i earn the same as someone who gets weekends off to spend with their families?

because you choose to remain in the job where those are the conditions

so if you all think that striking which inconveniences you 20 minutes today is f***ed and theyre all idiots who should be greatful they have a job, think of your kids at least who will be working in conditions like america with a minimum wage of $4 an hour.

what? my kids will work for whatever they're happy working for irrespective of your implied claim that the people who striked today, did it for my kids

the forefathers of ours who lead the same battles all those years ago have ensured the conditions we work under today and it seems a majority of you have a very short memory and take everything for granted.

you're so full of hot air it's not funny. _I_ ensure the conditions I work under, not you or any other striking government working gimp. If the conditions aren't right, copya later, I'll try another place of employment or make my own that suits me - not go on a strike that throws out an entire city to get what _I_ want.

well you see thats the difference between you and me. youre a liberal, i'm not.

show some sympathy you c***s, they provide services for you

they didn't today, so they go no sympathy

That's what the SEQEB union thought ...

i remember that strike

as a young fellow i was EXTREMELY ANGRY that i had no tv for several weeks

i never forgave joh for that

i drive to work every day. I live in Graceville and work on Eagle St. If I leave before 7:30am it normally takes me 10 minutes to get to work. If I leave after 7:30 am it takes about 1/2 hour.

Today I left and 7:20 am and arrived at my desk at 9:30am. f***ing union f***ers, at least gimme some warning, I'd have ridden my bike or even walked...it's only 8 kms!

now let me ask you lot this, if the government calculates it costs 4% per year extra to 'live' then it did last year, would you be happy with a 3% payrise ? hence losing 1% of a real wage each year ? would you deem it fair to have 1 set of employees who started pre 1997 earning $200 a week more then employees starting post 1997?

When you dont have a unionised job, your lucky to get a pay rise *at all* let alone one every year to cover the cost of CPI increase.

so if you all think that striking which inconveniences you 20 minutes today is f***ed and theyre all idiots who should be greatful they have a job, think of your kids at least who will be working in conditions like america with a minimum wage of $4 an hour. the forefathers of ours who lead the same battles all those years ago have ensured the conditions we work under today and it seems a majority of you have a very short memory and take everything for granted.

20 minutes? Try 2 hours. Unions are a legacy and a dinosuar of the past, as you've said yourself - companies these days work on maximising profits yet their staff still live in a system designed in the 50s? 60s?

If you want a pay rise, f***in work for it. Don't expect a free hand out every year because your covered by some bunch of daft twats that when they get all cranky they throw down tools and walk out.

Think of the kids? I'm thinking about those kids that got dropped at a train station because their parents assumed that train services were running as per normal like every other day of the year. With the state of society today, every perverted freak in Brisbane would've been out on the prowl.

Not only did the train workers disrupt an estimated 150,000 people this morning - they put public safety at risk.

from my point of view, none of you nay sayers have a clue what real work and poor conditions are really like, as you all work in an airconditioned office at a DESK.

pretty much this will sum it up, we're not going to agree because:

person A has a desk job where they would be unable to even think of union representation or even think that it is necessary because you face no concern about your safety or pay because you have such a menial job and you think you are overpaid as it is.

person B works in dangerous areas, they work in conditions that are uncomfortable, they sweat, they dont have air conditioned offices, they are only given short lunches, and are required to work all day not taking a coffee/smoke break every hour, they must have good handskills, carry out quality work, unable to bludge on the internet, send emails, make personal phone calls.

80% of people on this forum are person A and they all think bad about unions and good about howard.

and to you jim, you say you just pack up and leave to a better job? not everyone has that option, i work in a specialised trade area, i really do enjoy my work and cannot see myself doing anything else with my life, so it is in my interest to not bend over and just quit and do something else, its in my interest to improve my working conditions as well as the companies bottom line.

I have worked as an IR consultant for 2 years in private sector, then IR negotiator for Education Queensland for 1.5 years and then their Head Negotiator for another year before I left because of their stupid Beattie bulls*** - I nkow both private sector and public sector IR.

For starters, penalty rates are outdated bulls***. In a 24 hour world who is to say which hour is the most valuable, and whose eye is that value in? Penalty rates snhould be decided between the boss and his workers and not by a commission. That is patently unfair because a commission or the government can never know which hour is most valued by the parties.

QR employuees have a long track record of striking illegally. Illegal strikes undermine the whole lawful industrial action process, remembering the before the Howard government there was no legally protected right to strike or freedom of assiciation laws. At common law if an employee goes on strike, the employer can say "smell ya later!". The rail unions are just lucky they have a closed shop or they would be f***ed.

As a negotiator at EQ we prayed for strikes. 1. It made the employer look good when all the children are missing out on classes due to the greedy teachers. 2. We saved f***loads of money on our Departmental budgets because every day teachers go on strike they don't get paid!! We had Premiers department urging us to LET them strike.

Striking is a pointless exercise as has been evidenced by the Patricks Stevedores pickets of 1999. The boss always wins in the end. As a negotiator who has worked for unions and employers my advice to unhappy employees is if you don't like your conditions then leave. Do you think you will ever have a truly haoppy relationship with your boss if you have to force them to come to your terms? Thats like having to force your wife to have sex with you. Pointless.

SO in the Public sector the whole IR EBA negotiation is a game, a theatrical charade intended to win votes with the public.

In the private sector it is serious f***ing business abuot making the workplace more productive and keeping the best employees while getting rid of the worst.

last edited by infi at 23:14:51 03/Feb/06

well you see thats the difference between you and me. youre a liberal, i'm not.

calling me an apple and stating that you're not would have about as much relevance too

from my point of view, none of you nay sayers ...blah blah rah bling blah blee... as you all work in an airconditioned office at a DESK.

I work in an airconditioned office - because I made that choice. Prior to that, had I dropped out of highschool and worked in the building industry until I was 24. The reason I left that industry is because I was getting sick of getting ripped off by builders. However, instead of getting a job with a construction company so I could work on union jobs and strike when something didn't go my way, I made the choice to change my situation so it suited me better. Family to support, debts to pay, no training or skills in another industry - nothing but the resolve to change the situation. Hardly anyone has an excuse for it to be any different for them either.

and to you jim, you say you just pack up and leave to a better job? not everyone has that option, i work in a specialised trade area, i really do enjoy my work and cannot see myself doing anything else with my life

and that's the crunch right there, isn't it - that's the choice I'm talking about, and the choice that you make no matter how you try and colour it

Spidz you work on Eagle street ? Where abouts :O ?

And yeah i got f***ed this morning by trains AND it was the day i was supposed to be presented as a senior at my school, the day that only happens once, and i was late due to some f***ups who dont have the common courtesy to state they are having a strike.

Sorry, just felt the need to rant, i was quite angry.

sigh... they picked the right day... what went from traveling on the Tilt Train in relative comfort from Bundaberg turned into a nice cramped bus ride, stopping along the way to drop off other passengers at different locations... good time to be had

Wow cainer, I was all set for a decent discussion but you just went and blew it all by showing you really have no clue and no respect for people.

Thanks for coming.

i never forgave joh for that

Did we ever have another power strike?

Wasn’t the power mostly off for weeks before Joh fired them? Didn’t the power come back on in just a few days?

Lasted a few weeks if I remember correctly, several hours with power, several without. I remember I hated it, was watching "V the series" back then and missed a few episodes.

My stepfather works as a driver for QR.... you guys have no idea what the f*** you are talking about.
The drivers are "forced" to work so many extra hours it is basically unsafe, all due to managment not looking forward and training enough drivers. While i was in Australia my SF got called in for multiple shifts many times and had to turn some down due to him already having worked 12+hours.
And before you ignorant ones say "i do more hours than that", how would you feel to have a guy driving your train who has been at the wheel for 20+hours??
I watched all this over a course of a month and was disgusted at the state of affairs that QR MANAGMENT had allowed to occur.

merlyn my stepmother works as a stay-at-home mum and you have no idea what the f*** you are talking about.

...nothing you have said in your post has contributed to the argument between whether people are warranted being chuffed about strikes, or whether people have the choice to put themselves in a better employment situation if they choose to. all you've done is provide information about why it might be silly to continue to hold a job in that position.

While i was in Australia my SF got called in for multiple shifts many times and had to turn some down due to him already having worked 12+hours.

I could have worked 12+ hours yesterday but some emo QR drivers didn't want to drive the trains and went home and cried in the corner.

from my point of view, none of you nay sayers ...blah blah rah bling blah blee... as you all work in an airconditioned office at a DESK.

I worked as a mechanic (unqalified) for yellow cabs for three and a half years. during this time i realised i didn't wanna go home everyday with bad knees and a sore back for average pay. I, like jim, made the choice, i got me some edjukayshun and decided to do a different job. I have seen both sides of the fence mate, and they're's no way i'm going back to changing power steering racks for a living. i like my airconditioning.

QR has to abide by government regulations. They are drivers. Just like bus drivers and taxi drivers. They have to have a minimum amount of sleep between shifts etc etc.

The government crawls up the ass of trucking companies to make sure they don't exceed the hours, so why wouldn't a 'government' organisation such as QR (who make a profit each year) abide by the regulations also?

Like i mentioned before, my grandad was the head of the Railways union in the late 60s/70s. He agreed with workers getting a fair days pay for a fair days work.
No driver is allowed to work more than a 16hr shift without 8hrs off.
They get paid accordingly due to award wages.
This didnt happen in the 60s/70s when my grandad led the union.
They were paid below an average wage.

This has stopped, so unions should stop.

last edited by Mr Hardware at 10:00:42 04/Feb/06

you want us to come to work on the weekend, you gotta pay, why should i earn the same as someone who gets weekends off to spend with their families?

Dude, this is the 21st century. So many places trade 7 days a week why should you be bitching about not getting paid extra on weekends? If you're going in to work overtime then I can see why you'd want money, but if your week happened to go from Wednesday to Sunday then why the f*** should you get paid extra? Monday and Tuesday would be your weekend.

SACK EM

Too many bitchers and not enough doers that’s what I reckon!

If you don’t like what you do then don’t bloody do it! Be man enough to stop your bitching and whining and do something else.

driver at the wheel for 20+hours

Pretty sure trains don't run 20hrs a day...

think again

fade, 5:00am-2:00am are when trains run.

the coal runs Fade2Nigro
the only reason QR makes a profit.

ive just recently quit harvey norman after 4 years.
i quit because i didnt like the working conditions. wasnt the pay($800-1200after tax/wk) was the boss. short story version reads: hes a kunt.

i made the choice.

So according to Jimlogic, there should be no-one driving trains because i is a "s***" job.
You can be pissed about the strike all you like, i was simply telling you some facts as to why the drivers have a beef about wages and conditions. It is your right to be angry about whatever the hell you want, despite not knowing or ignoring the issue or facts.

And trains do run 24hrs, they have to shunt them around, move them for maintanence, longer distance trains, goods trains, etc etc. The brisbane network doesn't signal the end for train usage

Can't we get robots to drive the trains for people?

So according to Jimlogic, there should be no-one driving trains because i is a "s***" job.

nah, that's according to your silly thought process. there's probably plenty of people who either don't consider it a s*** job, or are happy despite that - I suspect that's why the wages are what they are

I'm not pissed about the strike at all - I drive to work and I was a mere 10 mins late because of extra congestion so it barely affected me directly. I'm just arguing against the idea that expecting conditions to change to suit you is silly, and that the idea that people don't have any choice but to strike is silly.

ahh, but the fact there was a strike shows that the workiers AREN'T happy with the job. SF likes his job, has for years, but that still doesn't mean that it can't be improved in terms of safety and reimbursment.
Again i ask, how would you feel catching a train knowing the driver has been working for 20+ hours and is in charge of a multi-ton vehicle and basically your life?

1. I agree with some of the points that Cainer and Merlyn have made.

2. How much does the average train driver make after tax on a basic 40hr wk?

3. The cost of living is getting ridiculous. Houses have jumped in some cases by 300%, rents have doubled, fuel has jumped by approx 20% and food is getting dearer. 3-4% is a rather pathetic amount in relation.

4. Jim b4 you post back I agree with you on the point that the strikers should have given a warning. Perhaps 24hrs at least.

5. Joanna I agree with anything you say 'cos I'm bored, lonely and drunk.

ahh, but the fact there was a strike shows that the workiers AREN'T happy with the job.

you say that in direct response to my comment as though it negated it. dude get a clue - the fact that there was a strike doesn't mean that all the workers aren't happy with the job. if the union decides to strike, the workers strike regardless of whether any number of them are happy or not.

SF likes his job, has for years, but that still doesn't mean that it can't be improved in terms of safety and reimbursment.

what does that have to do with this discussion? I don't think there's a single person here attempting to argue that the jobs in question can't be improved in terms of safety and pay. what's going through your skull to come out with this stuff?

Again i ask, how would you feel catching a train knowing the driver has been working for 20+ hours and is in charge of a multi-ton vehicle and basically your life?

again I ask, what does this have to do with anything?

No point trying to explain it to you. You have already made up your mind that they have no reason to strike and nothing anyone says will convince you otherwise.

I dunno, try actually making a point instead of just rambling on with gibberish if you think you've got a point

Dude, this is the 21st century. So many places trade 7 days a week why should you be bitching about not getting paid extra on weekends? If you're going in to work overtime then I can see why you'd want money, but if your week happened to go from Wednesday to Sunday then why the f*** should you get paid extra? Monday and Tuesday would be your weekend.

Actually, only large corporation franchise type business' tend to be open 7 days a week.
And alot of automotive places are intelligent enough to be open on a weekend because this is when people have time to play and tinker/fix their cars.

The other factor is social life, things happen on a saturday/sunday. Why do you think there are typically ALOT of people out on a Friday/Saturday - because they don't have to work the next day, and/or it is accepted that the "weekend" = play/relax days.

Yeah, you should be paid extra for weekends basically.

Is this strike over? I want to catch a train to the soccer tonight but just realised I might not be able to!@#?

it was called off at 2pm yesterday

2. How much does the average train driver make after tax on a basic 40hr wk?

According to this,

Suburban train drivers earn about $60,000 a year.

Don't know how many hours and whether that's a typical entry or max pay that is but, from the surface, it seems pretty decent pay to me.

Most people work more than 38 hours a week, I know I don't do 38 hours (I do more) and none of my work colleages do including the CEO and Chairman (they work even longer hours). Hell I don't know many people that work less than 40 hours unless you're in government job.

Surely it isn't unreasonable for us "white collar" workers to think, that $60K, a guarantee > 4.5% increase yearly and 38 hours working week would be bit of a slap in the face.

I mean even in IT to get 60k for 38 hours work + all sorts of penalty, you'd have to be pretty decent.

I could be missing something here about the general train driving job of course but, like I said from the surface it's not a shabby setup. Perhaps if anyone could share a better insights so we could all be better educated on the subject.

last edited by Opec at 19:40:07 04/Feb/06

60K / year is good, also pretty sure that average annual increase in living costs is 2.5-3% thats been verified by the economists working on a project with us that involves cost estimates out to 2040.

So a 4.5% per annum increase is fine, infact its good cause you're gaining an extra 2% disposable.

This sounds like those dock workers who drove forklifts striking cause the 80-100K they were earning wasn't enough..

average rate of pay in australia now is over $1000 a week. every year they tell us about it on the news. even $1000 a week doesnt pay off a house if u happen to have a wife and kids, so there is nothing extraordinary about $60,000 a year.

^LOL

i have a wife and daughter and atm we are renting. I earn no more than 26,000 a year before tax. my wife studies.

If we were on 60k+ a year I can tell you now that is an extraordinary amount of money for some families.

haha you crack me up cainer

Hahaha, I love how they say they only had 2 hours notice. YOU HAD AT LEAST 2 f***ING DAYS YOU PACK OF LYING BASTARDS!

Really? I thought they said "Right we're striking" at midnight on the day it happened as opposed to 2 days earlier.

Or do you only get 2 days notice because your "in the industry" or "work in the shop".

gawd cainer...

average rate of pay in australia now is over $1000 a week

52*1000 = $52,000

These train drivers AVERAGE $60,000. So even if the average rate is around 1K / week which I don't believe is correct (more likely 850-900) then these train drivers are already earning on average 8K/yr more than the national average. For a job that realistically can't be that different to being a taxi driver, except you have designated right of way everywhere, less opposing traffic to deal with and your own personal infrastructure.

how does that equate to two days for people who don't work at the station outside the QR workshop and talk to the workshop guys?

Hahaha, I love how they say they only had 2 hours notice. YOU HAD AT LEAST 2 f***ING DAYS YOU PACK OF LYING BASTARDS!

who are you addressing in that comment?

heh where'd your post go?

who are you addressing in that comment?

Queensland Rail spokeswoman Kimberley Brady said the union only told QR of the strike at 10pm on Thursday – giving just two hours' notice. She said the Industrial Relations Commission managed to get hold of Mr Smith before 12.30am yesterday to ask if he would attend an emergency hearing. But he did not turn up.

link

heh where'd your post go?

yeah sorry, I realised that I was posting another QR employee's opinion as well as my own, which isn't probably the best idea.



last edited by eK at 20:57:49 04/Feb/06

ah ok I thought you were addressing members of the public who say they didn't hear of the strike until the morning it happened

I was under the impression that a base salary for a train driver is in the order of 35-40grand per year... If he/she was only working specifically 9-5.. however since staffing requirements are usually stretched outside that timeframe penalty rates and the like come into play... However base salary still sits at about 35k inline with the basic award rate

60k for a driver equates to a great deal of late shifts, weekend rates and overtime worked.. Once you're a driver, there isn't much in terms of promotion or a 'career' prospects.. Once you're getting 35k thats it for a base rate

Under the impression?

Was the guy that posted trains only came by once every 30mins serious? I've never live in Brisbane, although I was born and raised in a smaller city in far north QLD and have visited Brisbane 2 or 3 times I did not know it was that bad! The subway system in Toronto, Canada where I lived from Sept 2005 till mid last month had a train every 2mins....didn't matter when you rocked up or what station you had a maximum 2min wait...and don't tell me it's any different from a 'normal' train....how many times have you been on a train in Brisbane and have had to stop to 'give way' to cars at an intersection? Besides alot of the area the subway system covered was 'above ground', ie a normal train.

Anway I support the Union, Obviously something is making all employees involved in the operation of the trains unhappy, fair's fair.

So according to Jimlogic, there should be no-one driving trains because i is a "s***" job.

rate of pay is determined by demand. doesnt get more basic than that. bussiness's will keep screwing you for time and money untill they find the balance.
the balance of pay/conditions verse staff.

striking screws everyone who needs to use the trains, doctor apointments, job interviews, jobs themselves are just a few examples where people couldve made alternative arangements before the selfish strike.

the level the balance you want is up to you. if you think its too low dont let it get lower, striking behind the union isnt going to do anything. the union should tell you all to quit if its that bad, then QR would sit and start listening.

verage rate of pay in australia now is over $1000 a week. every year they tell us about it on the news. even $1000 a week doesnt pay off a house if u happen to have a wife and kids, so there is nothing extraordinary about $60,000 a year.

o rly?

I guess the Australian Bureau of Statistics is wrong

AVERAGE WEEKLY TOTAL EARNINGS


COMPOSITION

* Average weekly total earnings was $700.60 for all employees; $838.80 for male employees and $554.70 for female employees.

* Average weekly total earnings was $897.00 for full-time adult employees, $384.30 for full-time junior employees and $334.70 for all part-time employees.

* For full-time adult non-managerial employees the ratio of female to male average weekly ordinary time earnings was 89.2%.

* For full-time junior non-managerial employees the ratio of female to male average weekly ordinary time earnings was 94.5%.

* Average weekly overtime earnings for full-time non-managerial employees was $66.00 for males and $12.40 for females.

#edit: needed the orly bird

http://www.users.on.net/~jcbarrett/orly/orly.jpg

last edited by typo at 00:38:18 05/Feb/06

Fuknukle hits the nail on the head. Thread over!

So according to Jimlogic, there should be no-one driving trains because i is a "s***" job.

I thought his point was something along the lines of "if the job is so s***, why don't they assume responsibility for improving their lives instead of crying like fags". If you think your job is s*** then it is time to man up and find a new industry to work in. Real men don’t cry because someone else can’t work out a better deal for them, they support themselves.

Besides, I thought there was federal law on how many hours you could drive any vehicle. If there isn't then maybe the Union should attack the legal system or pressure the government to change the laws, instead of hurting the general public. It isn't like it would be a hard advertising campaign. f***, many of the things that you proclaim would make a good starting point. I know I wouldn’t want my kids (or myself for that matter) being driven by someone who has been working for 20 hours.

As it stands, all the QR union has done is antagonise the general public. Which IMO is a pretty stupid thing to do; Strikes are supposed to hurt your employers, not your supporters and if a Union doesn’t have support from the general public then they get f***ed.

$100 a week, whats that, 2 hours extra work for me ? well you sure owned me didnt u.

{o,o}
|)__)
-"-"-
O RLY?

$100 a week, whats that, 2 hours extra work for me ? well you sure owned me didnt u.

To get to 52k. You didn't say the average wage is 52k, you clearly said ...

average rate of pay in australia now is over $1000 a week. every year they tell us about it on the news

If you had said something like "IIRC the average wage is around 52k a year anyway", you would have been right. However, your suggestion that the average wage was more than 52k a year and that the news informed you of that. This clearly makes you out to being a lier and a fraud.

Now, go cry more. It's funny.

last edited by typo at 12:03:44 05/Feb/06

typo, i dont know what you are looking perhaps you should check the page again

from what i read as of august 2005 its says;

Full-time adult ordinary time earnings
1022.60

Full-time adult total earnings
1071.90

am i missing something, or are we supposed to include the wages of a checkout chick who works 15 hours a week too ? i suppose you would say yes to suit your argument

This clearly makes you out to being a lier and a fraud.

liar!

For 60k a yr I'd work any shift at anytime. Thats an enormous amount of money... to me anyway... Mr Joe Average.

For 60k a yr I'd work any shift at anytime. Thats an enormous amount of money... to me anyway... Mr Joe Average.

Too right, I'd drive trains for 60k a year, thats like twice what I make.

exactly what i thought^^. most familys make that combined with both working full time.

average rate of pay in australia now is over $1000 a week.

Dont want to jump on the bandwagon just had to make this point:
'average national wage' is meaningless except if your the government.
the average does not equal the majority.

ie.
100 get $30k a year
10 get $1 million a year.

the average wage would be $118k
while the majority would still be $30k
obveously not a well rounded situation but its quick and gets the point across.
just struck me as weird they would come up with a national average which basicly is a waste of time.

yo fuknukle, (off-topic), you applied at Aviation Australia yet?

i once looked at being a train driver, it was mentioned it takes a year to train them etc. the majority of the problem with long hours is due to QR itself. their policy is that train drivers are recruited from their own ranks. so if you don't already work for qr you don't get employed and as qr dosn't have vacenceys very often as is then it is their own fault. In every job i have worked i have been with the union related to that industry (in particular security) and always support unions who try to help improve working conditions (pay not so much tho)

bargain yea but also applied for a job which i got on the spot so we'll see how the job goes first up

Guys just a heads up, our workshop boys went back on strike at about 10am this morning, so it's quite likely that they'll be off again tomorrow and the drivers/guards might be off again come Friday...make sure you keep an eye on the news and i'll try and update you when I know more

^^^ Thanks mate, let us know if there'll be a strike.