Happy Birthday TranzAlpine!

We are the union that represents rail workers and we want to wish the TranzAlpine and all who travel on her, passengers and staff, all the very best for the service’s 25th birthday.

It is fitting that KiwiRail have chosen this auspicious day to launch the new world class AK passenger cars on the TranzAlpine service.

These cars were built by highly skilled New Zealand workers at Dunedin’s Hillside Railway workshops.

Hillside has been building railway rolling stock for 130 years. It has survived two world wars, the great Depression and the privatisation and asset stripping of rail under the National Government of the ‘90s.

It doesn’t look it will survive John Key’s National Government. Last week 90 Hillside workers were told they faced redundancy and that most of Hillside’s manufacturing will shut down.

The foundry is being sold to a foreign private company who want to take on 18 of the Hillside staff on lesser terms and conditions.

KiwiRail is a state owned enterprise. The shareholder is Gerry Brownlee, Minister of Transport. He appoints the Board of KiwiRail that approved this decision. The Minister and the Government can stop this happening. They’re choosing not to.

Enjoy your trip today, and if you get a minute, please let the Minister know what you think of what his Government are doing to Hillside and the workers there by e-mailing him at Gerry.Brownlee@parliament.govt.nz

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