Australian manufacturers Alstom and Bombardier have worked together with the Victorian State Government and two unions to secure a jobs transfer between them and retain highly skilled train builders in Ballarat.
Under the agreement, the majority of Alstom’s permanent manufacturing staff will be redeployed to work on the VLocity train maintenance program at Bombardier’s Ballarat factory while work continues on the X’Trapolis 2.0 design.
The workers who are not redeployed will continue working on other rolling stock projects at Alstom.
Minister for Public Transport Melissa Horne said that in addition to keeping important, highly skilled manufacturing and maintenance jobs in Ballarat, the deal will also benefit regional passengers by speeding up planned maintenance work on the constantly expanding VLocity fleet.
“We’re helping keep these highly skilled manufacturing jobs in Ballarat – giving certainty to workers and their families,” the Minister said.
“Alstom workers will gain new experience and skills carrying out vital maintenance on our VLocity fleet – helping to keep services moving across regional Victoria.”
Member for Wendouree Juliana Addison said Alstom workers will keep their existing entitlements and will receive the necessary training and development to undertake the new train maintenance work.
“We’ve listened to workers who told us they wanted to keep working in Ballarat – and that’s what we’ve helped to deliver,” Ms Addison added.
Alstom has been delivering the Victorian Government’s $500 million of X’Trapolis train orders since 2015.
The company will receive $12 million in Government funding to continue the next phase of design work for the X’Trapolis 2.0.
