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The Australian Services Union, and its thousands of public transport workers throughout Australia working in urban transport [rail, bus, trams and ferries] as well as long distance passenger and freight transport, as well as the other organisations listed below, declare:
- That public transport is an essential public service that must serve the interests of the public at large, not any private interest.
- That public transport must be accessible to and affordable by all citizens.
- That public transport is a clean, environmentally friendly mode of transport essential to the sustainability of cities and countries now and in the future.
- That Governments must invest in the infrastructure necessary for the on-going development of public transport.
- That workers in this essential public service are entitled to respect and support from Governments, employers and the public.
- That the safety of workers and the travelling public must be priority number one.
- That workers in the industry are entitled to a safe working environment, free from work-related violence,
harassment, stress and fatigue.
- That workers in the industry are entitled to decent work, wages and working conditions as a fundamental right and as a means to ensure safe working for all.
- That workers in the industry are entitled to freedom of association, the right to organise and collectively bargain.
- That public transport should remain in public hands to ensure that it is operated in the interests of people, not profit.
Accordingly, the ASU, its members in the public transport industry, and other organisations and individuals identified below commit themselves to the following actions in 2006:
- To continue to campaign for a safe and healthy working environment in all parts of public transport in the interests of workers and the travelling public. In particular, we call on all Australian Governments to adopt the highest level of safety standards in the model rail safety legislation due to be adopted by all Governments by the end of 2006.
- To respond appropriately to industry and management safety codes, especially re Drug and Alcohol Policies, CCTV and other issues to ensure maximum worker and public safety while protecting the privacy and other rights of workers.
- To campaign for the retention of public transport in public hands and, where urban and other public transport has been privatised, to bring it back under local public ownership and control. To lobby governments and political parties and to work with other groups to achieve this objective and to oppose public/private partnerships [PPPs] in public transport.
- To work to ensure that the wages and working conditions of public transport workers are not attacked by employers seeking to exploit the Federal Government's unjust WorkChoices legislation. In particular, to call on State Governments to challenge this unjust legislation in the High Court and to work with Unions and others to ensure the protection of awards, collective agreements and other industrial instruments providing wages and conditions to employees of State owned entities.
- To work with employers and governments to ensure that public transport workers are protected from all forms of violence and harassment at work and, where incidents of violence occur, to ensure that counselling, rehabilitation and support services are fully available to affected workers and their families.
- To work with other transport unions and other groups in Australia and overseas to meet and deal with common issues and multi-national employers who are an increasing feature of this industry in Australia and around the world.
- To campaign in conjunction with key industry bodies, public transport user groups, environmental and other community organisations to ensure that polices that support public transport gain wider public and political support.
- To work with appropriate industry skills bodies to ensure all public transport workers have access to skills training, skill recognition, including portable qualifications, and career opportunities. To ensure in particular that the skills of women workers in the industry are valued, recognised and developed in accordance with their needs and aspiration.
- To campaign to ensure equity and equal opportunity for all workers and the opportunity for all employees to work in a supportive environment respecting people or all backgrounds, cultures and origins.
- To work to protect workers and the public from the adverse affects of international trade policies and treaties on the provision of transport services.
This Charter and Commitment
This Charter and Commitment may be signed by individuals, workplace groups, workplace delegates of the ASU, or other Unions, members of Government, members of Parliament, individual corporations, social movements and non-Government Organisations that are supportive of public transport services and the communities it serves.
Those parties that are signatory to the Charter respect the principles set out above as well as these commitments to action to the extent possible and feasible for each, and to support their communities and the public transport industry workers and their Unions that represent them.
How do i support the Charter?
Click here to send an email to the ASU indicating your support for the ASU Rail Safety Day Charter. Please remember to include your details in the body of the email.
Related Documents
Download the Charter here
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