Adelaide Metro rail workers have been frustrated by confusing messages from the State Government in the lead-up to the commencement of operations under the private contractor.

“The State Government is continually moving the goalposts for rail workers, who are already dealing with the stress of having their jobs privatised,” said SA/NT Branch Secretary Darren Phillips.

“For example, there is still confusion over the amount of time workers can spend on the ‘redeployment list’, as the State Government is appealing the recent Fair Work Commission decision on this issue.

“We’ve engaged a Barrister and we’ll be defending the original FWC decision at a hearing which has been scheduled for 20 January.”

Darren said the State Government had opted for the shortest length of time needed to execute the hand over to the private operator.

“The privatisation process has been ill conceived, poorly organised and will not deliver any savings for South Australians.

“Privatisation of essential services is never a good idea, but doing it in the middle of a health and economic crisis is plain dumb.

“The skilled and professional public sector workers on Adelaide Metro trains have been delivering high-quality to the people of South Australia, and they have kept going right through the pandemic.  They do not deserve to be treated this way."

The RTBU has been campaigning against train and tram privatisation, and the SA Labor Party has come on board by promising to bring services back into public hands.