In this, the first issue of the Traincrew Journal for 1999, a number of long term and far reaching topics which will have a significant effect on AFULE members and Queensland workers in general are touched upon. Take the time to read and discuss these issues with work mates and raise awareness in your depot.

When Do We Say Enough?

The Federal Howard Government has continued on its path of economic rationalism, (e.g. the bottom line of the balance sheet is the one thing that matters) and a "user pays" social security system. John Howard has made no secret of the fact that his present Government has no problems whatsoever in continuing along the path of draconian industrial relation reforms (at the expense of the Australian Worker) and taxation reforms which is to disadvantage the already battling worker who is struggling to keep his or her head above water.

The fact that the Federal Government is to ignore social and community obligations purely to enhance the profit making and competitiveness of private and public industry indicates to me that Howard and company will continue along this path for as long as the political coffers continue to be topped up by big business. The contempt with which this Government treats the disadvantaged, unemployed, elderly and the average worker to enhance the bottom line is almost beyond belief.

The Senate is presently debating the GST and its ramifications on the Australian people. It is important that you have your say on this issue by contacting local Federal members and/or senators. Many will say that nothing can be achieved by doing this, but remember the Australian citizens in their electorate elect all politicians to power. At the end of the day, all politicians are answerable to the people who elected them.

The long-term outcomes of the GST and its associated changes to the fringe benefits tax will not be in the best interests of all Australians. Almost certainly there will be benefits to high income earners and businesses but at the expense of the those people in society who already have a living standard that is below the accepted level.

Remember, if you do not voice your concern over this issue and let the politicians know of your dissatisfaction and rejection of what is proposed, then you must be willing to accept the consequences of the GST now, and in your children's future.

Paul A Sorensen
State Secretary

Cab Committee Restructure

The Cab Committee will be governed by an overseeing Steering Committee made up of (5) management representatives and (2) state representatives from each Union. (State Coordinator and Assistant State Coordinator). These positions were advertised in the A.F.U.L.E. Circulars in late February 1999.

Local depot representatives are to be called via the Branches and shall report directly to the A.F.U.L.E.Q State Coordinators. Members who are interested in applying for any of these positions can contact their local Branch Officials.

Cairns Tilt Train

There has been (2) meetings regarding the Driver's Cab. The first meeting in December 1998 was basically for Queensland Rail to outline their proposed designs and to seek input from the cab delegates on what were the drivers requirements for this train. The items raised by the committee were; toilet, cooker, washbasin, kettle, microwave, storage area, side window, radio and CD player.

Queensland Rail representatives, in conjunction with Walkers Engineers hope to be able to meet all requirements raised. The toilet will not be provided because of space constraints and gross weight of locomotive.

Maxi Overhaul Project

Several locomotives have been modified. The placement of several items in the cab is yet to be finalised. In-cab noise seems to be okay, Queensland Rail are yet to try out a new muffler for the turbo.

Diesel Locomotives

The Queensland Rail representatives who have the honour of collating all the Cab Committee items are;

• C Hack - Locomotives Coordinator Coal and Mainline Freight Group Rockhampton.
• G Smith - Teacher Adviser Coal and Mainline Freight Group Rockhampton.
• S Platell - Group Manager Rollingstock Maintenance Metropolitan Freight and Regional Services.
• B Watson - Rollingstock Availability Officer Metropolitan Freight and Regional Services.

These people will arrange items put forward and then hopefully, some time frame to complete those items.

With the amalgamation of all the groups together, it could be a while before we see some major benefits to these locomotives. Some modifications hopefully will be done at the respective depots on inspections and major work at workshops. (Townsville, Rockhampton and Redbank). The 2600 Class Locomotive scope of works is presently under way.

Electric Locomotives

The request for a Radio / CD player to be trialed is finally getting somewhere with the safety validation being forwarded to the General Manager Safety, so hopefully something will happen in the very near future.

A Draft scope of works is being put together for modifications on the 3900 Class Locomotives (windows, Seats etc).

New Technology / News

• Locomotives 2161 / 2163 have been fitted with EPIC ELECTRONIC BRAKE for evaluation.
• Locomotives 2160 / 2162 have been fitted with HARRIS ELECTRONIC BRAKE for evaluation.

• 2457/ 2458 have been set up with a SPEEDMASTER slow speed controller for the Queensland Cement Limestone traffic.
• The trial of the 600ml water bottle to train crew has expired. Metropolitan Freight & Regional Services thought that an alternate method would be more suitable and less expensive. An external consultant will be engaged to find out which is the most appropriate way to provide hygienic water. (Both Queensland Rail and the Union will review the charter prior to consultants engagement).
• A project team of Queensland Rail and Cab Representatives from those presently using DTC will be put together to source out in-cab computers for our locomotives.
• 4000 Class Locomotives appear to be progressing well with the first locomotive scheduled to be at Callemondah mid September 1999. Click here for a general discription of Clyde Engineering and the "4000" class Locomotive.

Shouting About Violence

Statistics on the number of violent incidents at work in Australia are highly deceptive. Every week in the United States, 18,000 people are assaulted and 20 are murdered while working. But an unwillingness to report violence in Australia means that there are few statistics and figures that do exist are usually inaccurate.

Ms Costello and Workplace Health & Safety Officers for St Lukes Nursing have been looking into the incidence of violence against nursing staff at St Lukes. She said she has found the extent of workplace violence difficult to gauge.

"Statistical information on workplace violence is poor and unreliable", Ms Costello said.

From January to October last year, only 12 cases of violence were reported at St Lukes out of 75 violent incidents. Ms Costello said violence is too serious a hazard to remain silent about.

"Violence should never be ignored or hidden", she said. "The outcome of occupation violence can be fatal."

Some of the reasons workers don't report violence are;

• they fear reprisal
• they want to forget the incident
• it was a once only event
• the effort it takes to report a violent incident
• they think it shows a failure of their performance
• they would be investigated
• they see violence as a feature of their job

Until reporting of violent acts in the workplace increases, a true picture of the extent of occupational violence in Australia cannot be seen. Encouraging workers to report these incidents and making it easy for them to report are essential to help curb workplace violence. With workplace bullying, stress and work overload in the limelight at present and being recognised as major health and safety hazards, violence also needs to be seen in the same light.

The Division of Workplace Health & Safety has recently updated its publication, "Violence at work - a Health and Safety Guide". This guide explains the types of violence at work and gives ways to identify, assess and manage potential sources of violence. It also sets out a procedure for dealing with a violent incident report form. This guide can be photocopied. "Violence at Work - a Health and Safety Guide" can be obtained from Divisional offices or can be printed from the Internet.

For an Internet copy, go to "http://www.detir.qld.gov.au", select health and safety then guides.

For those without Internet access, please call the Division of Workplace Health and Safety. Telephone (07) 3247 4729 or Free call 1800 177 717

Work Place Prosecutions

Following the recent federal election win by the Howard Conservative Government, moves toward the introduction of a Goods and Service Tax (GST) has again started to hit the headlines. The government speaks of a "mandate to reform", to what they believe, is a hemorrhaging of the Australian Taxation System. While our tax system does suffer from problems, the talk of "hemorrhaging" is somewhat exaggerated. Reformers of the tax system tend to concentrate directly on the introduction of a GST, instead of repairing or improving the present system.

The so-called "hemorrhaging" of the system has it's roots in the continuing falling of tax revenue caused by:-

• growing inequality in income and wealth distribution;
• greater access to tax avoidance schemes by the rich;
• dividend imputation;
• removal of the 60% top marginal tax rate;
• reduction company tax rate;
• increasing and permanent unemployment and;
• labour replacing computers and high tech tools and systems.

The concerning issue here, is that while our tax system has been "hemorrhaging", Australia has never been richer. During the past 20yrs the gross domestic product (GDP) has almost trebled, the result of the enormous productive boost from high tech tools and systems introduced into our workplaces. In addition to the increasing of income and wealth disparity, the sales tax system (the basis of our expenditure taxation) burdens manufacturing, while the growing services sector operates without a similar tax burden. As a result, Australia's present taxation system is fast failing to provide revenue to allow the public sector to provide infrastructure and social services.

The Governments attempt to reform the system is pinned entirely upon the introduction of the GST. The question needs to be asked, will the shift to a consumption based tax system provide the necessary tax revenue to fund a democratic, fair and civil society.

Under a GST based system the weight of taxation would fall on the poor and poorly paid who are a vital part of the mass consumption that sustains economic activity.

Underpinning any tax system is equity and efficiency. Equity, in that tax payments should reflect the tax payers ability to pay and efficiency, so as not to promote undesirable economic consequences. The basis of a GST is consumption, low and middle income earners tend to consume a higher proportion of their income compared to high income earners. Therefore, the regressive nature of an expenditure tax affecting low and middle income earners needs to be addressed through the improvement of progressively monitoring income tax to offset the increased proportion of earnings funding the system.

The Howard Government is proposing income tax cuts, however these cuts lack a systematic programme to reduce the burden on low and middle income earners during the shift in the tax mix from income to expenditure tax. All Governments introduce a number of measures to achieve the economic goals of controlling inflation, promotion of employment and growth and the maintenance of a healthy balance of payments.

To say that the current system is working in a way which provides a fair and equal distribution of wealth, would be wrong, and furthermore, it would be naive to believe, that a perfect system could be devised to deal with our ever changing and dynamic economic and social environment. A consumption based tax, as proposed by the government in it's present form, will struggle to provide equity and the fair distribution of wealth generated by our country. We all need to be aware of this, and be concerned about the future under such a consumption based taxation system.

Article by:G. Robertson, State Vice President

The GST - based rewrite of the tax system ignores loopholes in the tax laws that allows those who should pay to avoid paying

The Federal Government's Tax changes incorporating the GST and other reforms will have a direct impact on Queensland Rail employees. This impact will not be for the betterment of workers but is another attack by a Government who seeks to fill the coffers at the expense of the average Australian. The Tax Reform package being debated in the Senate proposes changes to the Fringe Benefits Tax (FBT) to the extent that from the 1st of April 1999, any fringe benefits amounts will be recorded by your employer and added to the employees Group Certificate at the end of each financial year. The FBT amount displayed on group certificates in the future will be added to (grossed up) the taxable income for the employee. This "total" will then be utilised by the Government to calculate a workers entitlement to such things as;

• Superannuation surcharge
• Medicare surcharge
• HECS repayments
• child maintenance repayments
• has the ability to reduce the eligibility of workers for certain Social Security benefits eg; parenting allowance.

If you have perused the Weekly Notice, you will have noted the Taxation Notice regarding the changes to FBT. You would realise that the fringe benefits that are to be included in the calculation ranges from the free rail travel pass when on annual leave through to Queensland Rail housing / quarters which are provided for at less than the marketable rent in that location.

The amendments to the Fringe Benefits Tax provisions are essentially as follows;

1. Will require that the calculation of the individual fringe benefits amount for each employee
2. will require that the reportable fringe benefits amounts on the employees group certificate
3. ensure the reportable fringe benefits total is used in various income tests when determined ability to certain surcharges and other obligations and eligibility for certain concessions

Investigations into the FBT reforms have led the Union to believe that the changes proposed are supported by all the major political parties. The AFULE would recommend to all members that they contact local Federal members and Senators to register objections to the proposals for changes to the FBT. As the issue is to be debated in the senate in the very near future it is important that persons register their objections to these changes as soon as possible.

Further information can be obtained from Branch Officers and the State Office of the AFULE.

Tony's Train Tantrum

The poor performance of some of Britain's private passenger train operators has caught the eye of Tony Blair. Commenting at a recent rail conference, the British PM threatened sanctions against franchisees who were not performing to government expectations. The PM went on to further warn private operators that his Government would not hesitate to intervene, if improvements were not forthcoming and that the new holders of rail franchises should not think they are immune from government action just because they had long term licences.

Meanwhile one private operator (Great Western Trains) has been found in breach of its licence, by the rail regulator, for charging a A $2.50 surcharge on telephone bookings and has now been ordered to rebate its customers the ill gotten gains.

Amtrak Disaster

The famous City of New Orleans train carrying 215 passengers (including 3 Australians) was involved in an horrendous crash recently, killing 13 people and injuring over 100. The night time accident occurred 80 Kilometres south of Chicago, on a level crossing when the New Orleans bound express ploughed into a semi trailer carrying a load of steel reinforcing rods. The impact was so severe that the lead locomotive split in half before exploding in a ball of flames.

Officials are concentrating their investigations at this stage on the level crossing signals and boom gates to determine if they were working properly at the time of the accident. Early evidence suggest, however, that the truck driver may have been trying to race the train and ignored the level crossing warning lights. This accident is the worst US rail disaster in over six years.

$16 Million Nullarbor Upgrade

The Federal Government has committed $16 million to upgrade the 2,000 kilometre rail line between Adelaide and Kalgoorlie. The upgrade work to be carried out under the auspices of the Australian Rail track Corporation will include the construction of much needed longer crossing loops. Other improvements include the expenditure of $3.4 million on self-restoring switches, $5.5 million on replacing damaged track and $2.3 million on new crossing loop turnouts. The improvements are expected to reduce Adelaide-Perth running time by about 2 hours.

As a Trustee of the QSuper Fund, I can assure you that the Board of Trustees invests the money of members in QSuper wisely, and now is the chance for you to invest some of your own money wisely through QSuper. The rules surrounding access to the money you pay into superannuation are set to change from 1 July this year. This means time is running out to take advantage of the opportunity to make contributions to your superannuation fund in a low tax environment, without having that money locked away until your retirement. As an added bonus, your own contributions to superannuation can earn you a 71/2% rebate on your tax this year.

"Preservation" is a term that describes the rules which prevent superannuation money from being accessed until retirement age. Until now money paid in by you, the member, has not been preserved and can be accessed when you simply resign or are retrenched. From 1 July 1999, new contributions going into your superannuation account will be preserved. This means that you will not be able to access this money until you reach your preservation age, which can be seen in the table below.

However, you do have until 1 July 1999 to make contributions to QSuper that you will be able to access before your preservation age, for example, when you resign or are retrenched. This is an investment opportunity that you shouldn't miss!

Call QSuper on 1300 360 750 for more information on preservation or making contributions to QSuper.

AUTHOR: John Thompson

WHAT IS WORKPLACE HARASSMENT?

Queensland Rail is committed to providing all staff with a healthy, safe, discrimination free work environment. Workplace Harassment occurs when unwelcome behaviour is directed towards another person on the basis of one of the 13 attributes identified in the Anti-Discrimination Act.

It is harassment when:

1. The behaviour is intended to offend, humiliate or intimidate the person

Or

2. Where a reasonable person would have anticipated the possibility of offence, humiliation or intimidation.

Note click here for a list of the 13 attributes under the Anti-Discrimination Act.

Under the Anti-Discrimination Act, any harassment is against the law. Queensland Rail also finds all types of workplace harassment unacceptable.

Some examples of Workplace Harassment include:

1. Sexual harassment such as deliberately brushing up against a person, suggestive comments about a person's physical appearance, leers, stares, smutty jokes, pornographic posters stuck on workplace walls, etc.
2. Disability harassment such as name-calling jokes about the person's disability, picking on staff because they are on light duties because of their disability, etc.
3. Racial harassment such as racist graffiti, racist jokes and taunting.
4. Lawful sexual activity harassment: eg. Spreading rumours about someone having an affair or being gay, etc.

As a manager or supervisor, it is your responsibility to try and prevent workplace harassment from occurring. Some options available to help prevent workplace harassment include:

1. Making employees aware of Queensland Rail's policy against workplace harassment and what types of behaviour constitute workplace harassment (eg. the workplace Code of Practice should clearly state that workplace harassment is not acceptable).
2. Ensure that employees are aware that serious disciplinary action will be taken if harassment occurs.
3. Conduct awareness sessions on Workplace Harassment

Contact your workplace Harassment Contact Officer, Equity Adviser or your ER office.