The reason that the A.F.U.L.E. has been so successful in the industrial market place dates back to the very reason why the Union was originally formed. In 1861 a small number of Enginemen banded together to form a Craft Union that would be able to negotiate on behalf of all Enginemen. They had the foresight to realise that a specialist Union was needed, because the working conditions of Enginemen were unique to other railway employees.

This is also why the A.F.U.L.E. has been able to fly in the face of the nineties trend of the Super Unions. Whilst other rail unions such as the Rail, Tram and Bus Union have formed amalgamations and is looking at broadening it's base further by amalgamating with the Transport Workers' Union, the A.F.U.L.E. in Queensland has remained a boutique Union.

In addition to the normal challenges that face the Union, the year 2000 will see the State Office move to a new location. The Brisbane City Council is resuming the present office owned and occupied by the Union for construction of a highway. This will necessitate relocating the State Office in early to mid 2000.

Although the place of business and the officials who represent train crew change over the years; the ideals of the members will carry this Union for another hundred years.

Casual Vacancy

The Number 2 District Councillor Mr Dennis Paidley has submitted his resignation from the position. His personal and work commitments have dictated that he can no longer devote enough time that the position demands.

Dennis was no exception to the high quality of Councillors that have represented the No.2 district. I would like to personally thank Dennis for the unpaid time that he was only too willing to put in to helping members in his district, no matter which depot they came from.

As per rule 27 of the registered rules of the Union, the Industrial Registrar has been notified of the casual vacancy and an ordinary election is now being conducted. I would like to thank those members in the number two district who have nominated for the position.

The loss of job security, continual reform and workplace change (sometimes just for the sake of change), inter-business group competition (MARS - V - CMF) are all taking their toll.

The environment that has evolved from all the above has led to a workforce that is disillusioned with management, has a very low moral and is unwilling to be proactive in regard to further "flexibilities".

The endless stream of reviews, consultant's reports and a growing middle management continues, while the traditional blue-collar workforce continues to wither, is not a good way to start the 2000-year.

The threat of Third Party Operation is very real, with FreightCorp getting a foot in the door in the Blackwater Coal system. This has brought about the "knee jerk" reaction from QR management of wanting to steam roll and fast track more workplace reform in the train operations area. DOO in the coal fields with no safety system. Longer working hours. A more flexible workforce.

While Freightcorp have been the preferred operator for the Stanwell coal contract, QR has advised that they are still able to compete for the business, as the current contract does not expire until 2002. (See the Freightcorp press release in this issue of the Journal)

Reports from the State Cab Co-ordinator have also indicated a definite shift in the QR management when it comes to locomotive improvements. It has been indicated to the Committee that if funding for improvements are unavailable, then they will not be done or they will be done at a snail pace.

It seems that the view of management is that we have been working with these Locomotives for 20 years now and if improvements cost money then there is no reason that drivers can not keep working them for another 20 years. This cost issue certainly has not stopped the refurbishment of the QR building nor the supply of the latest technology (laptops, mobiles, organisers …and the list goes on) to the management. But of course having the last electronic gizmo will make the operation more efficient…

In closing this report, I can only advise you; the rank and file, that the 2000 year will be of great significance and I see many issues confronting the Union and its members in the next 12 months.

I would like to take this opportunity to raise some concerns and comment on observations about the new Train Crew Agreement proposed by QR.

Upon reading the information provided, it would appear that the emphasis of the Train Crew Agreement 2000 is the increasing productivity and the relationship of productivity to wages. In essence productivity is the degree of effectiveness of resources, or the degree of accomplishment.

In our industry, productivity refers to the operational performance of the work force. We all know that increases in production can be achieved through several forms, however there seems little doubt that QR intend to introduce a number of workplace reforms to aid in the increase of organisational productivity.

The reason behind such an approach is the need to become competitive. Throughout the many discussion papers provided, QR's emphasis is on the importance of being competitive, for example;

• Establish the competitive advantage
• Enhance a competitive business ethic
• Redefining employment relationship - linking wages and productivity
• Focussing on outputs - wages based on output produced
• Remuneration a result of a reform agenda
• Key Performance Indicator's measuring productivity

There is no denying that competition is a part of our working lives, however this agreement appears to be using competition as the nexus to stimulate a reform, a process not before seen in our industry to generate productivity and efficiencies to a new and higher level. This is evident in the comments of 'culture change' and 'business ethic'. I wonder if it is QR's intention to foster this type of change through their own process or a process developed in partnership?

In regard to the linking of wages and productivity, or wages based solely on output produced by the worker, such an approach requires research, planning and a clear indication from QR on their intent and the degree that production (not only immediate but also for future gains) will play on wages.

To introduce a system of relating wages to productivity means more than just reforms, it requires the ability for workers to be capable of achieving reforms. Because there are marked differences in skill, qualifications and access to training between workers, the output produced will vary significantly, not just within the organisation, but also within the specific business groups. Such a framework could quite easily lead to competition between depots, where some may have the ability to achieve reforms at a greater pace, compared to others.

I feel that business group plans need to be identified and clarifications sought on;

• The role that is expected by train crew to play in the overall achievement of business group objectives
• Their plans on how to include the contributions of train crew
• The degree that skills and qualifications will have on reform achievements
• The scope of training to be provided to allow train crew access to the productivity related pay increases.

Key Performance Indicator's (KPI's) are sets of measures that focus on aspects of organisational performance, a way of gaining information to enable everybody to improve the business.

KPI's are in essence, inputs into the means of producing efficiently and the level of production is the output achieved by workers using these measurements. It could be argued that KPI's will switch the focus on how income is currently based, to a concentration on the true value of work practices or redefining the employment relationships with crews.

QR appear to view critical objectives as focussing on outputs rather than inputs, could this mean that the intent is to restrict employee involvement in the development of KPI's (inputs) to a role of producing (outputs) which will be set by management.

Further to this are these inputs (KPI's) going to be;

• Organisational
• Business group
• Boiler plate
• Workplace in nature

I would now like to reflect on the past year. To be honest, I had some high hopes about achieving some positive outcomes during our first twelve months of this term.

I have been a little disappointed with what has transpired throughout the year. While we have achieved some positives from the Driver Only Operation in Dark Territory issue and placed Remote Control Locomotives into hibernation. I had really believed that the introduction of a fatigue management program and continuation of the current Train Crew Agreement leading into another agreement would deliver some real beneficial change to the way we work. I had hoped that some real recognition of our duties, skills and responsibilities would have been acknowledged by the completion of the first twelve months.

In particular, QR's display of exclusion in the development of a Fatigue Management Program. Open and honest communication is essential to the smooth operation of an organisation. Such an approach of exclusion builds barriers to effective communication and eventually leads to a breakdown in relationships. This is precisely what happened, we needed to be fully involved in the development of a fatigue management program, a program that plays a significant role in the management of work and family responsibilities of our members.

Unfortunately a positive outcome to benefit all stakeholders has been left wanting by the approach displayed by QR. The truth of the matter is many people feel threatened by inclusiveness; they build barriers to protect their little domain. Information is power and quite often the people responsible for the development and design of programs are more interested in self-preservation and motivated by self-interest.

A recent development, which I find very interesting, has been the release of a program called Progress Through People. The reason why I am so interested is that such programs are designed to increase staff involvement in the achievement of organisational goals. Such an approach is common amongst many organisations around the world today.

The basis of these accelerated programs of employee involvement are motivated by economic - productivity reasons and rotates around group work and the team leader concept. They are designed as a means of decentralising decision making on a range of agreed issues, so as to increase workplace flexibility and fully utilise the skills of employees. Such a program has the ability to promise quite a deal, however do we really know the real intention behind such a scheme and can we expect full participation to eventuate.

As mentioned earlier, group work is practised in many forms around the world, a recent report published in Europe Useful but Unused - Group Work in Europe (1999) by the European Foundation for the Improvement of Living and Working Conditions, covering 5,800 workplaces in 10 European countries, identified a number of clear trends. (Members can access information on this topic and others by visiting the website www.eurofound.ie).

• Group decision making rights are generally limited, with a clear hierarchy in the topics about which groups may make decisions
• In the majority of cases, the appointment of team leaders is a managerial prerogative
• Less than one third of enterprises provided training for employees to function in work groups
• Managers are provided with more training than any other employee
• Team work is often associated with skill based payment systems
• Direct participation is of benefit to the organisation and the work force

The report goes on to conclude; "Group work is useful but remains unused or under utilised, despite the gains it promises in the fiercely competitive global market". So maybe we need to ask QR if they will follow current trends, or will the mould be broken and a true working model established.

MELBOURNE TO DARWIN

The Federal Government has made a further commitment to the Melbourne to Darwin rail project by announcing the formation of a steering committee to identify stumbling blocks that may arise should the proposal prove feasible.

The formation of the steering committee follows the Federal Governments earlier contribution of $300,000 toward a pre-feasibility into the $5 billion Australian Transport and Energy Corridor Limited inland rail concept.

RAIL CRIME

Anti social behaviour still dogs Sydney's city rail system and in a further bid to stem these activities, the NSW State Government has recently announced stiffer penalties for a range of 'hoon-ish' acts and loutish behaviour.

New offences have been announced, including eating food in non-designated areas, occupying seats reserved for the disabled, wearing clothing or carrying luggage likely to damage seats or carrying objects used to damage railway property. As admirable as the increase in penalties may be, it is unlikely to have any effect on the hard-core element in our community who habitually cause discomfort to fellow public transport travellers.

The seriousness of anti social behaviour, including assaults and robberies on trains and railway stations was highlighted recently when rail workers handed out 30,000 ribbons as part of a campaign to have repeat offenders banned from using the rail network.

GAS TURBINE LOCOMOTIVE

The US Department of Transportation (DOT) is to continue its investment in the development of a gas turbine powered locomotive by contributing a further US $7 million to its development.

The DOT is working in a joint venture with the Montreal based Bombardier company, to develop a 150 mph passenger train which they hope to have ready for track testing by August 2000.

The new gas turbine powered prototype locomotive is being built around the exiting Bombardier electric locomotives, which will commence high-speed train operations between Washington, New York and Boston later this year.

CRASH TESTS

The US Federal Railroad Administration (FRA) has awarded a US $1million contract to Simula Inc to crash train carriages into large blocks of concrete.

The tests will be similar to those carried out by the automotive industry to determine the crash forces on equipment and passengers when trains are involved in a major shunt. Human-like test dummies will be seated throughout the carriages and video footage shot to see what happens when a carriage travelling at 30 mph hits the concrete obstacle. Further tests involving locomotives and side impact collisions are also envisaged at a later date.

The tests will be carried out at the FRA test facility in Colorado and are motivated by the need for the rail industry to catch up with the automotive and airline industry in researching the actual causes of passenger injuries.

This research is considered particularly important, as the US will shortly commence the operation of high-speed passenger trains.

ROAD CHAOS LOOMING

The Bureau of Transport Economics (BTE) has painted a gloomy picture regarding the future traffic congestion on our city roads.

The recently released BTE report says that the cost of traffic congestion in Australia is set to rise to $30 billion over the next 15 years. "Total traffic is projected on past trends to grow by something like 30 - 45 % over the period (to 2015)", the report says.

Did you know that in the past number of years Australia has been bought out by overseas companies and big businesses, who control the Australian interests. Thousands of Australian businesses, resources and real estate have become foreign owned or controlled.

Approximately 85% of the contents of the average Australian supermarket trolley is now foreign owned or made.

• Pauls milk… now owned by (Parmalat) Italy profits going overseas.
• Arnott's
• XXXX
• Stubbies
• ACI
• Aeroplane Jelly
• Anset
• Ampol
• Aspro
• AV Jennings
• Minties
• Billy Tea
• Birds Eye
• Bushells
• Channel 10 TV
• Big Sister
• Bank West
• Bryant & May
• Cottees
• Bundaberg Rum and Sugar
• BTR Nylex
• Country Road
• CRA
• Downtown Duty Free
• FAI
• Dreamworld
• Ettamogah Pub
• Edgells
• Jacobs Creek
• John Sands
• Kambrook
• Kettle Chips
• Tip Top
• King Gee
• Leggos
• Marshall Batteries
• Nannas
• National Mutual
• Nutri Metics
• Pauls products
• Hans
• Dandy
• Eta
• Rosella
• Dunlop
• IXL
• Australian Pensioners Insurance
• Qantas (50%)
• Video Ezy
• Parkers Pretzels
• Smiths Crisps
• Swan, Taubans
• TNT
• Tooheys
• Speedo
• Nanda
• Latana Fresh
• Noble House
• Franklins
• Davids
• Big Fresh
• Jewel
• Colorado
• Angus & Robertson
• Rabbit Photo
• Prouds
• Sportscraft
• Sportsgirl
• Watties
• Sunshine
• Day Dawn
• Twisties
• Lifesavers
• Sweetacres
• Red Tulip
• Kiwi
• Haberfields
• Lactos
• Cradle Valley
• Two Dogs
• Hahn Beer
• Harris
• Andronicus
• Lan Choo
• Neranda
• Greenseas
• Aeroguard
• Mortein
• Taurina Spa
• Four 'n Twenty
• Herbert Adams
• Wedgwood
• Peters
• Streets
• Fountain
• Gravox
• Don
• Hamper
• Plumrose
• Presto
• Tom Piper
• Ox
• Imperial
• Eta
• Monbulk
• Pioneer
• Exide
• Mercantile Mutual
• MMI
• Bristol
• Travelodge
• Flick
• Sidchrome
• Besco
• Apollo
• Vegemite (Kraft) is now owned by Phillip Morris Tobacco company USA.
  (Source Ausbuy).

The ownership of our country, our companies, resources and real estate should be a major concern to every Australian. These are only some of the Aussie sell offs.

• All levels of government continue to "Sell Off" our nations assets
• 300 Billion Dollars went overseas TAX FREE due to an out of date 1953 law
• Foreign Transnationals continue to attack Australian owned small business by; saturation advertising, underpricing & price control and tax advantages.
• Consumers continue to purchase foreign owned brands & services, creating jobs in other countries and unemployment in Australia.
• Out taxation system supports big business and foreign companies.

Australians paid $114.7 billion tax and foreign enterprise paid $9.9 billion, Why? Because we let them. If Australians do not support Australian owned companies, no one else will. Australia is in serious financial trouble, because we are giving our wealth away.

To create a job for an Australian, Buy Australian made and owned. By spending $50 per week, buying Australian owned instead of spending the same amount supporting overseas owned companies, Australia could save $20 billion a year on foreign dept and create 500,000 new jobs.

Australia owes the world $456 Billion at $2.2 million an Hour Interest

In 1993 with the foreign debt standing at $145 billion, the (by then) Keating government spent $42 million building a bridge across the Mekong River in Laos, gave $100 million in economic aid to Vietnam, spent $100 million on an embassy in Beijing, gave $114 million in military aid to Indonesia, $65 million to the ANC in South Africa, $12 million for African drought assistance, $370 million to New Guinea and more.

To get itself elected, the Opposition led by John Howard made an issue of the debt. It constructed a 'Debt Truck' which it drove all around Australia with recorded messages saying how bad foreign debt was for the country. Once elected the Howard government appeared to forget all about that.

In the 1997 budget, with the national debt around $210 billion, the Howard government gave away $1.45 billion in foreign aid; $100 million to Indonesia, $83 million to Vietnam, $86 million to the Philippines, $28 million to Thailand, $21 million to India and $84 million to China. In the last quarter of 1997, with no money for Australians (in fact selling off public utilities to fill alleged 'black holes' in the budget', the Howard government lent $1.35 billion to Thailand and similar amounts to Indonesia and South Korea ($4 billion in total), to prop up their economies. Around Christmas 1997, the Howard government announced it would give another $20 million to China to 'help it establish a market economy'.

On 18 February 1998, the Howard government announced one of its biggest ever aid programs to Indonesia $37 million to improve training of Indonesia's workforce and $12 million to help it to improve maternal health services. In May 1998, it pledged another $30 million to Indonesia and $56 million to Laos to 'improve its health care, education and rural development'. By July 1998 Australia's foreign debt was $225 billion, the highest per capita debt in the world, resulting in an outflow of $11 billion a year in interest payments.

There is reportedly a money lender's principle that 'the borrower is servant to the lender'. If that is the case the Australian government now answers to the international bankers, not the Australian electors, when it comes to economic policy choices; thus the bipartisan consensus' of the two major Parties; thus the shameless propagandism of the major media; the same people who hold the mortgage on Australia finance the media moguls in the acquisitions. If debt is a trap, Australia is firmly in it and politicians of both the entrenched Parties have placed it there.

It should be added that State and Federal governments and their various instrumentalities are responsible for only one third of the national debt. Private firms borrowing offshore are responsible for the rest. But that private debt should be lumped in with government debt and called 'national debt' seems curious, particularly as it is known that Third World governments have been forced to accept responsibility for foreign bank debts incurred by private companies and their countries.

Many of us will earn over a million dollars in our lifetime and yet only manage to save a fraction of it.

Where does all the money go? Much of it is spent on luxuries and items that we could probably do without.

A sound budget provides the framework to help develop a long-term savings plan. A budget outlines your expenses and total income each month, showing money left over that you could be saving regularly.

When you think of this in terms of the total amount you could have saved over time, it may encourage you to stick to your savings plan. That holiday you've been dreaming about, but could never afford, may only be months away.

Depending on your exact circumstances, there are a number of ways you can build your savings and establish a plan to achieve your financial goals.

Whatever your current situation, the best time to establish your savings plan is now! Don't put off the start of your savings plan until you can afford to save larger amounts. Putting aside modest amounts as soon as possible is the most effective long-term solution.

Try these savings tips;

• Arrange for an automatic deduction from your pay into a dedicated savings account.
• Consolidate your debts.
• Before making a credit card purchase, make sure you will be able to pay it off at the end of the month. If not, consider a lay-by to avoid paying interest.
• f you are tempted by any impulse purchase, think about your goals. Spending the money on a luxury item will put your holiday plans back even further.
• If you are an impulse buyer, leave your credit cards at home.
• Remember that small purchases add up. For example, spending $4 on lunch each workday for 12 months adds up to almost $1,000.
• Stick to your shopping list and don't go grocery shopping when you are hungry.
• Start saving coins. After a few months, the money saved can be used for household expenses.
• For detailed advice on how to create a savings plan to help you reach your goals, contact an authorised representative today.

Locomotive sales continue to boom in the US with the General Manager Electro-Motive Division (EMD) announcing it's largest single medium powered Locomotive order in 15 years.

The CIT Group, a large aerospace and railway leasing company has just placed an order for fifty GP5D and GP20D units and forty 4,300 hp SD9043MAC units.

For the technically minded the microprocessor controlled SD9043MAC units employ AC traction motors, self-steering trucks and the EMD Whisper Cab. The GP15D and GP20D switcher units will use the low-emission 170 series motor making the units capable of pulling more tonnage than any other switching unit currently available.

The bad news is that most Australians are working longer and feeling less secure about their employment. But the good news is that many of us are ready to take action to achieve a better balance between work and family life, according to the results of a national survey about employment security and working hours released in early September 1999.

The results indicate that the majority of full time employees are working more than 40 hours per week, less than half are satisfied with the balance between their work and family life and a third feel their job has become less secure in the last 12 months. Almost one in three respondents, however, said that they were prepared to be active in their workplaces with their Union to find a remedy.

The ACTU national survey on Employment Security and Working Hours analysed results from almost 7000 employees across Australia. Those surveyed included teachers (private and public schools); in local government, finance, manufacturing and the federal public sector.

Almost 3000 other working people employed in cleaning, security, hospitality, child care, nursing, scientists, engineering and management occupations took part in similar surveys with similar findings.

The surveys were part of a nation-wide Union campaign to gather information on working hours, changes to workplace conditions, security of work and other areas of concern for workers.

ACTU Assistant Secretary, Greg Combet said the survey revealed that many people are working unreasonable hours and that the sheer amount of work they have to do has increased, with accompanying health and safety problems. Almost half of those who responded are working some unpaid overtime each week. "On top of this, many employees are feeling less secure in their jobs and there is a distinct increase in the number of casuals and contract employees being employed in many workplaces," he said.

This is consistent with the recent ABS figures showing that most employment growth is in casual jobs. Casual employment now comprises 27% of the work force. Australia has the second highest proportion of temporary workers in OECD countries.

Key results

• 55% of those surveyed are working 40 or more hours a week
• Almost half (45%) are working some unpaid overtime every week
• Almost half (49%) have suffered health problems because of their working conditions
• Less than half of those surveyed (44%) are happy with their balance between work and family
• A third of permanent full time workers want to work fewer hours per week
• 65% report an increase in the amount of work
• 59% report an increase in the amount of stress at work
• Almost a third (30%) report a decrease in job security
• 24% reported a decline in employee numbers at their workplace

The most commonly agreed upon improvements required in the workplace were improved management (69%); more say by employees on how work is monitored (59%) and organised (57%); more job security (54%); and the need for more people to be employed (50%).

Combet said unions would be using the survey results to organise in workplaces and implement the recommendations in the ACTU's recently released unions@work report. "For a balanced and secure working life, people need reasonable hours, regular hours and reliable hours of work. They need reliable and secure employment and to know their conditions of employment are protected," he said.

Combet said that the Union will respond to the issues identified in the national survey through activity in the workplace. "When so many employees are prepared to actively support change, as revealed by our survey, it is important that unions remain at the forefront - formulating claims and negotiating improvements at the workplace."

Combet said the ACTU was also considering several national award applications in the Australian Industrial Relations Commission to support workplace bargaining strategies and improve employee rights. He said that any award applicants would focus on working hours, ensuring a balance between work and family life and issues around casual, part-time and fixed term employment.

Australians continue to work long hours in contrast to a worldwide trend in industrialised countries that has seen hours at work remaining steady or declining in recent years.

Australians work on average 1866 hours a year, which is 100 hours less than their US counterparts and only 23 hours less than Japanese workers. Workers in Europe, on the other hand, are logging progressively fewer hours at work. Workers in the United Kingdom clocked up 1731 hours annually, more than their counterparts in France (1656 hours), Western Germany (1560) or Sweden (1552 hours).

The Figures were collected by the International Labour Organisation (ILO) as part of their comprehensive study on labour trends. The study, Key Indicators of the Labour Market, 1999, surveys labour market and productivity trends through analysing 18 key indicators of labour market activity.

The ACTU Survey on Employment Security and Working Time Arrangements covered approximately 10,000 employees. The statistics below relate to 7,000 completed surveys that were analysed by consultants Yann, Campbell, Hoare and Wheeler and include some results from an additional 3,000 surveys conducted by various unions.

The major issues identified were;

Length of hours

• Long (often unpaid) hours of work and lack of control over how working arrangements are set and how work is monitored were identified as key workplace issues.
• Award standards for the working week are not reflected in actual hours worked.
• 55% of respondents work more than 40 hours per week.
• 26% work 45 hours or more.
• 12% working more than 50 hours or more on average

Unpaid overtime

• 45% of respondents work at least some unpaid overtime each week
• A third (29%) work paid overtime
• Women were overall significantly more likely to work unpaid overtime
• A third of full time permanent employees want to work fewer hours per week

Unused leave entitlements

The survey results show high levels of unused accrued leave entitlements such as rostered days off, time off in lieu and annual leave especially in finance and clerical - administrative occupations.

Between a quarter to a third of respondents in those industries reporting difficulty in taking their accrued entitlements.

Portability of entitlements (especially long service leave) is a key issue in industries such as hospitality, cleaning and security industries.

Lack of control over hours of work

• 59% of respondents want more say on how work is monitored
• 57% want more say in how hours are set

Rostering and shift work arrangements are also key issues for nurses and employees in hospitality, cleaning and security industries.

Work intensification and overload

A majority of respondents reported increases in their workloads, the pace of work and stress from work.

• 65% report an increase in amount of work performed
• 59% report an increase in the amount of stress from work
• 56% report an increase in the pace of work

Balancing work and family

The adverse effects on employees' health and family commitments of unreasonable hours of work and unreasonable rostering and shift work arrangements are key issues throughout the surveys.

• Less than half of those surveyed (44%) were happy with their balance between work and family
• 32% reported as a common workplace concern insufficient time for sports, hobbies or community activities.
• 49% of respondents suffered health problems because of their working arrangements
• 25% experienced accidents or near misses

Job Security

• A third of survey respondents experienced a decline in job security over the last 12 months at the same time as seeing an increase in precarious forms of employment:
  • 23% report a growth in casualisation in the workplace
  • 24% saw growth in contract employees
  • 19% saw growth in fixed term employees
• 59% of casuals and 69% of fixed term employees want permanent employment
• 54% of all employees want more job security as a key workplace improvement.

Health and safety effects

A report by Railed, the body responsible for managing Netherlands Railway's infrastructure, reveals that 40% of collisions on level crossings are due to reckless disregard by road users for their own safety. This follows a study that analysed 6,152 incidents at around 1,000 locations during the 12 years from 1985 to 1997.

The most common offences were zigzagging around closed barriers (17% of all collisions) and deliberately trying to cross after one train when the person knows a second is approaching (6%). Of the remaining 60%, half are due to mis-judgement or inattention; mainly by car drivers and in 23% of cases other traffic or a stalled engine traps the road vehicle. Only 7% are attributable to NS: 6% when trains are being flagged across with the barriers up and 1% are technical failures.

It comes as no surprise to learn that the 15 - 25 age group is over-represented when it comes to reckless behaviour and that the majority are pedestrians, cyclists or scooter riders. This is because it is much easier for these groups to dodge around barriers than it is for drivers of cars or larger road vehicles. As 90% of road users involved in collisions used the crossing regularly, it seems it is not ignorance but familiarity which breeds contempt.

Remedies have been evaluated for cost-effectiveness in terms of reducing road and rail casualties and a programme of improvements has been drawn up that should cut casualties by 25%. Priority is being given to sealing off paths used by cyclists and pedestrians when the barriers are closed so that getting through becomes physically difficult.

The visibility of red warning lights will be increased and carriageways will be divided to discourage zigzagging. Curbs will prevent cars from being driven off the side of the crossing where they could become stranded.

Dateline New Zealand. The North Island Main Trunk railway line, somewhere in the mountainous central region.

Picture this! A long freight train on snowy rails, is making heavy weather of the tortuous, uncompensated 1:50 grade. The Locomotive Engineer (that's what they're called in this neck of the woods) and the wheel sip system of his 4.000 hp, 25kV electric Locomotive are both struggling to cope and speed is dropping. What to do?

Well folks, here's an option! You can leave your controls and move back through the Locomotive to the rear cab where you can exit via a cab side door, drop to the ground (no connecting walkway) and mount the trailing diesel electric unit, which is running dead-in-consist.

Like a possum on a power pole, you climb the ladder onto the leading-end walkway of this unit and voila!, you're in the cab. You can ram the battery knife switch in, snap the EC switch to START and race out onto the running board behind the cab. Here, you flick open a hood door, grab the engine start switch and push it over to PRIME. After what seems like ages, the fuel sight glass will fill so you can now rotate the switch back to START and reef the lay shaft level in. The engine will gurgle to life and you can race back to the cab, place the unit on line and give her some herbs on the throttle.

By now you should be getting back to your cab… Oh, sorry, didn't I mention? To actually affect the process, you'd have to leave the requirements of the vigilance device on your Electric Locomotive in the tender care of an illegal passenger - your girlfriend for instance. She'll diligently operate the cancel button at your driving position and keep an eagle eye on the road ahead whilst you're gone.

Anyway you shouldn't leave her there by herself for too long, so as I said, you should make careful tracks back to your driving station. But be careful! If you slip, you'll fall off and find yourself lying on the ballast (if you're lucky) looking up at your train as it clunks past.

What now? Well, perhaps you could wait until the last wagon rolls past and make a lunge for the tap (provided you can stand up). Or, were you carrying your portable radio? No worries, just call the girlfriend to, er, push the handle with the numbers back towards zero and push the T bar handle forward, until…. Or maybe you've got your mobile phone. Brilliant! You could phone someone to meet your train somewhere convenient, leap aboard and bring her to a stand for you. Then you could call and taxi and ……
Well actually what's more likely to happen is that you're lying there on the ground with your broken leg wondering how the hell this happened, the vigilance device on your now remote Locomotive times out and the alarm howls off. Your hapless passenger is rigid with fear and sits fearfully still. After a short period there's a hissing of air and the train slows and comes to a stand. A frantic woman and a distant, mystified train controller eventually instigate a search….

Would this be called Kiwi ingenuity, or could there be another name for it?