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RE: Dispatches #170: Moral injuries, train drivers and pain empires
I think the biggest problem QR has is union interference. I remember reading or hearing that QR driver training takes 3 years compared to somewhere like Germany, which takes 6 months. I can't find anything to back this up though, but it sticks out in mind. It also sounds very much like something the unions would try to enforce to ensure driver scarcity and protect the financial benefits (penalty rates, overtime, etc.) accruing to the existing drivers.
Hi there, thanks for reading. QR driver training used to take 18 months, until it was recently reduced to about 13 months. Train driver recruitment was recently opened to the general public (ie outside existing QR employees) for the first time, too : http://www.abc.net.au/news/2017-08-31/more-train-drivers-for-seq-after-union-overruled-by-fair-work/8860384
Excellent. That is good news.