Melbourne's trains should move back into public hands to get a better deal for commuters, says union
Rail, Tram and Bus Union Victorian secretary Vik Sharma and national president Victor Moore have drafted a motion for this weekend's Labor Party state conference to strengthen the upcoming bidding process before the existing Metro Trains contract expires in 2027.
As well as calling for an inquiry to improve commuter outcomes, the union wants the government to consider a public bid from the Department of Transport and Planning to run the metropolitan train network, or at least formulate a road map to reliably return the network to public control.
'The current contract does not grant the government adequate oversight or control over operations of Metro including staffing levels, faults, maintenance and decision-making about the network. Withholding critical information and decision-making control gives Metro an unfair advantage and makes it more difficult to prioritise the public interest,' the draft motion said.
A separate proposal from the Electrical Trades Union to overhaul the way gender quotas are calculated in Victorian Labor's preselections, previously revealed by The Age, has been withdrawn after it caused consternation that the number of Labor women elected to parliament could go backwards.
Other draft motions circulated before the state conference include a proposal to reform the 'undemocratic' municipal voting system in the City of Melbourne, where businesses get two votes. The Australian Workers Union is also calling on the government to abolish its public sector wages cap.
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The Rail, Tram and Bus Union motion on the metropolitan train network calls for an independent inquiry into the current contract to identify gaps in the government's knowledge. It would also review how confidentiality rules built into the franchise agreement hinders oversight and collaboration between the government and the operator, 'with the aim of strengthening the state's position and improving public transport outcomes'.
The findings and recommendations of that inquiry should be reflected in the next tender process, expected to begin soon, the union wrote, to guarantee ongoing access to operational data.
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