News & Discussion: Adelaide Metro Trains

[muzzamo]

The only way privatisation of public services can be profitable is to cut services/quality, make redundancies and cut back in other areas to save money.

Or to make things more efficient.

Unfortunately I think the private sector profits will come from
1) Making things more efficient - great!
2) Displacing workers with lower paid workers - particularly immigrants and trainees. This is pretty much what happened with the privatisation of busses. But you could also wonder why the government is paying unionised ASOX's to clean public transport toilets when they can get immigrants to do it for a fraction of the cost.

[ChillyPhilly]

This will end when Labor buys back the contract.

Doing this in the midst of a still-raging global pandemic is madness.

[PeFe]

This will end when Labor buys back the contract.

Doing this in the midst of a still-raging global pandemic is madness.

Why? What madness??? There is no raging pandemic in South Australia......there is still Covid, but compared to Europe and North America, South Australia is paradise. Life still goes on and the business of public transport management should continue.

[Norman]

I'm waiting to see what aspects of the service will be improved before making judgement on if this is a success or failure. There are some things that the department should be doing that are not being done, such as improving customer information and customer service. So far all I've heard about is extra security guards after 7pm, so let's see what the next few months hold.

[rev]

This will end when Labor buys back the contract.

Doing this in the midst of a still-raging global pandemic is madness.

Labor will buy back the contract? Cool, so we will be in debt by another 2 billion or so...?

Cant wait.

[SBD]

This will end when Labor buys back the contract.

Doing this in the midst of a still-raging global pandemic is madness.

Labor will buy back the contract? Cool, so we will be in debt by another 2 billion or so...?

Cant wait.

I guess they might “discover” it is a good deal after all and decide to renew it instead. I’m pretty Sure Labor renewed the bus contracts that are now operated by Keolis Downer some time during the period it was in government.

[NTRabbit]

Displacing workers with lower paid workers - particularly immigrants and trainees. This is pretty much what happened with the privatisation of busses. But you could also wonder why the government is paying unionised ASOX's to clean public transport toilets when they can get immigrants to do it for a fraction of the cost.

Because permanent workers have rights, casual workers don't, and it's a lot easier to make your permanent workers redundant and let a private company replace them with easy to abuse casuals than it is for governments to do it themselves, thanks to the tireless efforts of the CPSU.

[ChillyPhilly]

This will end when Labor buys back the contract.

Doing this in the midst of a still-raging global pandemic is madness.

Labor will buy back the contract? Cool, so we will be in debt by another 2 billion or so...?

Cant wait.

I guess they might “discover” it is a good deal after all and decide to renew it instead. I’m pretty Sure Labor renewed the bus contracts that are now operated by Keolis Downer some time during the period it was in government.

It's a pledge Malinauskas is taking to the election. A look at the facts will show it's not a 'good deal'.

[rev]

Displacing workers with lower paid workers - particularly immigrants and trainees. This is pretty much what happened with the privatisation of busses. But you could also wonder why the government is paying unionised ASOX's to clean public transport toilets when they can get immigrants to do it for a fraction of the cost.

Because permanent workers have rights, casual workers don't, and it's a lot easier to make your permanent workers redundant and let a private company replace them with easy to abuse casuals than it is for governments to do it themselves, thanks to the tireless efforts of the CPSU.

Metro Trains Melbourne drivers from what I've seen, earn close to 6 figures if not just over 100k a year.
Should a train driver in Adelaide be paid the same or more?

It's funny that the "immigrant took our jobs because they're cheaper" argument is being used.

The whole bringing people over from overseas to fill jobs at cheaper rates has been going on for the better part of the last 20 years.
Most were asleep, most didn't care, most called it multiculturalism etc.
But it's a problem now because trains were privatized. LMFAO It's a bit late to complain now guys...

Next the fact they do a half arsed-job will dawn on some people. But they'll probably be unemployed by that stage.

[rev]

Labor will buy back the contract? Cool, so we will be in debt by another 2 billion or so...?

Cant wait.

I guess they might “discover” it is a good deal after all and decide to renew it instead. I’m pretty Sure Labor renewed the bus contracts that are now operated by Keolis Downer some time during the period it was in government.

It's a pledge Malinauskas is taking to the election. A look at the facts will show it's not a 'good deal'.

What parts of the deal are "not a good deal"? Care to elaborate for those of us who haven't got time to sit down and find the contract to read?
And why would it be a better deal to buy them out, which will cost the tax payer at least what Downer paid?

[SBD]

Displacing workers with lower paid workers - particularly immigrants and trainees. This is pretty much what happened with the privatisation of busses. But you could also wonder why the government is paying unionised ASOX's to clean public transport toilets when they can get immigrants to do it for a fraction of the cost.

Because permanent workers have rights, casual workers don't, and it's a lot easier to make your permanent workers redundant and let a private company replace them with easy to abuse casuals than it is for governments to do it themselves, thanks to the tireless efforts of the CPSU.

Metro Trains Melbourne drivers from what I've seen, earn close to 6 figures if not just over 100k a year.
Should a train driver in Adelaide be paid the same or more?

It's funny that the "immigrant took our jobs because they're cheaper" argument is being used.

The whole bringing people over from overseas to fill jobs at cheaper rates has been going on for the better part of the last 20 years.
Most were asleep, most didn't care, most called it multiculturalism etc.
But it's a problem now because trains were privatized. LMFAO It's a bit late to complain now guys...

Next the fact they do a half arsed-job will dawn on some people. But they'll probably be unemployed by that stage.

Doesn't workplace relations law in Australia require people to be paid the same for the same job, regardless of whether they are citizens or what kind of visa they are on? Staff on government contracts should not be able to be paid under the table or below award rates under the standard government contract T&Cs so this should not be an issue.

Is there any evidence that KD has flown in drivers or other staff to undercut local labour markets? This sounds like fake news.

[bits]

I thought the train drivers had a clause in their employment contract with the Government that they cannot be made redundant.

Pretty sure I heard there is 100 train drivers that are still employed by the Government sitting in a waiting lounge for their next train driver job.
While the private employer is unable to find local staff to employ to drive trains.

Every time I hear of privatisation I always assume it is trying to finally escape from the crazy terms the staff had managed to get added to Government employment contracts.
But due to those crazy contracts there is hangover losses for decades.

You can't blame the train drivers that are now in a position of doing not much and being paid to do that for not wanting to choose to quit that.
You can blame Governments being unable to negotiate sane contracts when all the staff strike and the Government needing trains to run.

[rev]

Because permanent workers have rights, casual workers don't, and it's a lot easier to make your permanent workers redundant and let a private company replace them with easy to abuse casuals than it is for governments to do it themselves, thanks to the tireless efforts of the CPSU.

Metro Trains Melbourne drivers from what I've seen, earn close to 6 figures if not just over 100k a year.
Should a train driver in Adelaide be paid the same or more?

It's funny that the "immigrant took our jobs because they're cheaper" argument is being used.

The whole bringing people over from overseas to fill jobs at cheaper rates has been going on for the better part of the last 20 years.
Most were asleep, most didn't care, most called it multiculturalism etc.
But it's a problem now because trains were privatized. LMFAO It's a bit late to complain now guys...

Next the fact they do a half arsed-job will dawn on some people. But they'll probably be unemployed by that stage.

Doesn't workplace relations law in Australia require people to be paid the same for the same job, regardless of whether they are citizens or what kind of visa they are on? Staff on government contracts should not be able to be paid under the table or below award rates under the standard government contract T&Cs so this should not be an issue.

Is there any evidence that KD has flown in drivers or other staff to undercut local labour markets? This sounds like fake news.

It's the other guy who made those insinuations about KD.

Workplace relations laws are a joke though.

[Nort]

The whole bringing people over from overseas to fill jobs at cheaper rates has been going on for the better part of the last 20 years.
Most were asleep, most didn't care, most called it multiculturalism etc.
But it's a problem now because trains were privatized. LMFAO It's a bit late to complain now guys...

Next the fact they do a half arsed-job will dawn on some people. But they'll probably be unemployed by that stage.

It's always fun when your mask slips.

[Spotto]

For the drivers that are still being employed by the government to be subcontracted to Keolis Downer, they're guaranteed 3 years of work under this arrangement. KD's contract runs for eight years. That means that for just under half of KD's contract, the government will be separately paying its own group of drivers to work for KD to fill the shortfall.

How is this a good deal?