Australian Rail, Tram and Bus Industry Union of Employees, Queensland Branch v Queensland Rail [1998] QIRC 296 (1998) 158 QGIG 437

436 GOVERNMENT INDUSTRIAL GAZETfE 24 July, 1998 GOVERNMENT INDUSTRV\.L GAZETfE 437 Qt'EENSLAND l:'lDtiSTRIAL RELAT101\S COMMISSION florkplace l<.eia.ti!.Hts A.ct s. 299 - ..tpphcati,,n for interpretation r\ustnliian Rail, Trarn and Bu$ Industry Union of Employees, (}ucensland Branch AND B1666 of /~'97) Ql!EENSLAND RAIL AW ARD - STATE COMM[SSlONER EDWARDS 8 July J 998 lnkrprd,,tfon - Lying Off Allowanc" - Time Off Duty Between Workings ... Travelfrng Spare -· ()ua1ifying Perk'{j " .Agrt::ed :Facts - Conunission Agrees with ApphcJnt DECISIO'.\f I11~ Au.,;;ira.han Rai~, frarn and Bus Industry cf Ernpioyees, Queensland £ka!1d1 (tho:: Union) has fik~d an apphcation sed<Jng an. Intt:tpn:tat.ion of Schedule 2.6(1) .1,nd 2.6(2) 0f1hc Queensland .Rail Award ''E1npioyee.s C{)Vere<l by this rnut of the Aw;ixd rvhc• are required to \.Vork o~ dining; ca.rsi food bar cars, cluf.s cars, or k,ung;:. car~. shall be en.titted tc, f(:C,;:-ive pay-1nt:-nt of the ft.:.llf'l\-\'i!lg aHotvance- while lying off a\vay frorn the)r horne sta.tlrJn:- U!ider J2 hours hours 2 hours "the frmt: off duty hctwec-11 worklags on trains as distinct frf)Hi tra velHng spare- shall bi:: addc-d to L1-e tirn,~ of duty foreign quarters in dcte.rrrsir:ung the quajjfin.g pcrit.ki the payrncnt nf the ;illOV/i1U(>:-. 0 •• l11is a_pphcal:ion fa in rehpe.ct of a Catering ..Atteada.nt eruploycd by ()-.1d?.I1Siand Rail ((JR) \vho l.vorked a trip frorn Brisbane to Cairns and r~-turn. 'TI;e ernpioye~:: rostered to work as foHov,,'s:.- l2.96 ,:rn duty (A) not working ,h,.ty 1..luty* {Slnot on duty (C) not on duty u-n d.iu-y:.\-' fDJ 11ot \.vorking 05,12.96 on duty (E) not ~vurking {Jn duty 9.15 ]}.15 ]445 !8.45 06,00 12.00 1fr0D 13.l 1445 1345 21-3G 6.00 10.00 ]2()0 16.00 WORKNG NOT WORKL\;G 4 hours t.5 hours 41.h.HJ.fS l h.cs 4 5 1nins {0/T) 8 hours 30 m!ns 4 hoHrs 2 hours 4lnms 4 hrs 20 min., (0/J) JO houxs 55 mins RI•:TURN ··n<.IP \V{)RKING NOT WORKli'JG 1115 1;.J 21 ·,o 11.l U.15 5 2L30 4 hrnrrs 4 hours 4 hours 15 rn.ins (Off) 8 hours 30 mins 26992._J .DOC -- 1 of 2 -- 438 QUEENSLAND GOVERNMENT INDlJSTRIA.L GAZETTE 24 July, 1998 06.12.96 on dutv (G) not workm.g on duty on duty* * overtime OtiOO 10.00 J LOO 15 00 WORKING NOT WORKING l hour 15 00 4 hours 16.35 J hour 35 ruins (Orr; The cakula,ion of Lyiiig Off Time Al!owance for the employee was based on the accumulated time off duty in respect of B. D and F iI1 !he above scale. 1he 1J:t1?on believes that thee empk,yee 1.vas entitled to payrn::-nt of th.:: "Lying Off Allowance" in n\spcct of periods ;.\, C, E :.nd G of the Roster as this is com•idered time off bdwecn worldngs whilst travelling on the !rain, This matter arose frrnn conflicting 1nethods of payment of •·1ying off" time by QR and a resulting internal mem<•rnndum (Exhibit 6) which ,tates:-- "There- has been a nu_rnher of queslion,;; a~kcd regarding the payment of !ying off time to catering atte-ndant,, in particular the situations where catering attendants are booke.d off duty, within the shift or shifts on the forward journey. TI1e concern is whether small breaks within a shift are counted towards the caku!ation of the tot;,l lying off time for the whole journey. The memorandum was written as a resul, of an inquiry from QR's Intern:..! Auditor. As background to the application>• QR _providc-.s certain f~v:ilities on ils long distance p:lssenger trains with thi, service being petforrncd t,y a cate.riug se:rvices staff who work 3t1ecific tirn1,.~s of the day. ·n1ose. time.."':- correspond obviously with n1e.ai pcrirxis. rI11e- catering servh.:e.s: staff are rostered on fuese trains, vvhich 1nay result in. a return trip to Cairn$ and/or Longreach, \vhichcve.r the- Ga$C rnay be. \\'hile these trips are for an ,,xtended amount of !!me, catering service:; staff ai:e only re,iuired for the prtoparalic,n ,md s,,rviug of food and the subsequent deaning of the kitchen facihties. However th,,se staff are required to stay on the train for their whok tirr1e, St.1ff are rostered to -rne.:.·.t the requireinentf of the job in that chey are rostered to meet peak dernands. Ernpioyees arc- rostered in turns of duty which at\•. punctuated by breaks bctwee;1 shifts and Jr.deed dur]ng shifts to enable- coverage pf the 1-e-ak tirnes. ]bese c1npioyees work a 38 hour we--,~k. aH QR employ,:,c:s, e\-en if there's insufficient work, they Jre paid fr,r 38 boors. These particular ernp.byel;.\S ITJCtiH)doiogy ft)l working the 38 ht)urs ls eight hour day, Queensland Rail Award and the O,rpornte Enterprise, Agreernent both ou0i11e the n1et.hodologie,~ .fo.r \Vorking the 38 flour wet;k By i1nplication then, these ernployees required to \vork nine ~.ight hour d:..ys \o achieve an average of 38 hours, Eniployees \vho work in ~xce-ss of tl1cir eighr hours for the,ir non:nal day receive ovenime I".th."-S which are payable 1n accordance- with scheduk- 22, In cot1sid~nHicm of ilie a.greed fact~ a significant deternlinatinn is the interpretation of the definition of the term "lying off', B0rh panics have an und~rstanding the n1eaning of the tenn but were not abk dire:ct the Conuni~sion lo a lkJintxi meaning to i;;•,nah.le- intL"rpretatkrn. As such. J\ir Dc,ogan indkated it the submission of his union that ''lyir,g off' is aH ilie time that an employee is aclual!y booked duly whereas QR are looking at oniy times between shift:') be·fng ~·lying off' tin1e . .\·fr Lucas af;,Te.-cd Vl'ith v:hat he de,;.cribed as the '·fundan11:nt.al Dt)sition·'. As subn1ittcd bj:-_\fr \1orrfa There is no argu1n<:nt in ri,;,gatd t(l tJ.:;,,~ uiy.ing off'' tirne while as1 ernpk1yce is booked otf duty and off the tr<1in in Cairns. TI1e lack 0f agreement refers t.e dk:- period whilst on the train, Mr Doc,gan provided an overview of relevant alkn:vances by referring a Judgn1<,nt of Cmrnni:,.s1oner Clarke on 30 April l 973. il 973) in QGIG 126, Schedule l, Queeru;iand Rail Emerpme Agreement 1996 s. 2.6 "Lying Off Time" state.s:- Provided further that !he time off duty between workings on trains a9 distinct from travelling spare shall be added 1,_-, !he time off duty in foreign quarters in determinmg the qualif}~ng period for the payment of this allowance:.". Mr Doogan placed emphasis on the activiries that relevant employees may partake when not on duty and made reforenrn to the lack of privacy and confined space in cabins. 111e Commission recognises such limitations but fc,r fue pu.·poses of tlm deds10n the Cornrnission is interpreting existing dames rather lhan determining whether a condition of employment is justified or otherwise. TI1e parties agreed an ih,, difference with "spare travel" to which reference is made in clause 2.6(2). To support fue s'llbmissions of QR, Mr Morris referred to an employee engaged on a return trip to Cairm which take, approximately 4 days. ]ne employee is r,,qum,d to work a number of separate shifts during that time with breaks whilst an the train and detrained. In his submission Mr Morris made rcforence to the rates of pay and broken shifts and noted that the applicatJon did not question the ability of QR to roster employees in !he manner outlin,~d in submissions. He also outlined that:-- '!Lying 0ff tirne is an a.llo~'auc.e paid to staff to cunip.:1tsate then1 for b,,ing away from their homo depot for extended peri()(fa. It's only applicable if an employee is required to book off duty either in a foreign locat.ion or on ttain and the payment i.s only appli,.;abk if the aggregate of that time off duty is m excess of 12 hours. Payment of this allowance ill accordance wi1h sdie<lule 2.6(1 )." (Exhibit l 7) \\'hen dause 2.6 is considered, the wkvam period 1, !he time off duty hetv.rcen working~ on irai1L.:; which n1ay re$u}t in a nurnber of cornbtnations induding breaks m shifts whilst remaining on the train or breaks in shifts v/hilst <letr:a.ined. In both situatirws an en1pioyee is not working on designa:te.d dutje-_s. Clau.sc 2. 6 dee.~ not re.strict recognilit)n of tin1e uff itJr employees whilst detrnmed for whatever re.a,on whiL,1 abscm from u'lc point of origin eve.n !hough it may have been ihe intention of QR The, Com:mi.ssion agrees wi,h fuc mterpretation placed on the schedule by the itpphcant. 'fl1e Corr.uJ'Jssion ord"."~rs accordingly. KL EDWARDS, Commissmner Appearance.,:-• \fr 0. Doogan behalf Australian Rail, Tram and Bus Industry lJmon c,fEmp!oyees, QueemLmd Brandi. Me,s.srs P. ;l.fo!Tis ami P. Luc,is on behalf of Queensland Rail. July, 1998 QUEENSLAND GOVERNMENT INDUSTRIAL GAZETTE 439 -- 2 of 2 --