Thank you for your below email. I have done some research for you with regards to the uniforms I asked some questions and below are the answers:

1) What is the name of the company which made our uniforms?

Hard Yakka

2) Why did we use them?

A tender process was undertaken and Hard Yakka retained its contract with Queensland Rail to supply the uniforms. Queensland Rail have a long-standing contract with Hard Yakka an Australian-based company founded in Victoria to supply their uniforms.

3) Do they manufacture their products overseas?

Hard Yakka are owned by Pacific Brands (owner of Bonds). The company originally manufactured their product in Australia but in recent years moved their production offshore.

4) Why was this fabric chosen (blue shirt)?

Queensland Rail uniforms are designed to be professional and comfortable. They feature a light weight cool and comfortable material appropriate to the Queensland weather. The fabric is standard Hard Yakka material that is widely-used nationally.

Before any decisions on the new uniforms were made Queensland Rail undertook extensive consultation with staff and union representatives including providing samples of the fabric and garment giving everyone the opportunity to comment and provide feedback. Some employees who raised concerns about the fabric were also given the chance to take samples home to wash scrub dry and splash water onto them. After this process they reported they were satisfied with the fabric.

Consultation is underway for new train crew uniforms including drivers and guards. The proposed train crew uniform is a grey and white striped shirt that would disguise marks better and differentiate train crew from customer or station staff.

The proposed train crew uniforms for both women and men have been on display in staff areas for several weeks and consultation is currently underway. All of our train crew employees have the opportunity to give feedback on the proposed uniforms.

The guidelines on wearing dark colours under light ones are simply common sense apply to both men and women and have been in place for more than ten years.

The new uniform was introduced more than six months ago in April and the feedback from staff has been largely positive.

If you have any further questions about this we can discuss further a the CRG meeting

Thank you and Kind regards

Mary Papoulias
Community Relations Coordinator

Sent: Saturday 8 October 2011 10:40
To: CRG
Subject: Ferny Grove Line CRG – QLD Rail’s sourcing of products

Mary

Could we have a chance to discuss the following some time soon please?

QLD Rail’s uniforms are made in India China and Fiji. The Australian Services Union spokesperson said: “We would absolutely support these garments provided by QR being manufactured in Australia by workers who are appropriately remunerated. That’s the benchmark an organisation like QR should be setting.”

We note the Federal Government’s concern about loss of Australian manufacturing jobs and it’s Name and Shame website that it is setting up. We would see QLD Rail as being on the list for that website because we simply should be supporting local manufacturing jobs here in QLD not sending our QLD Government funds overseas to pay for things we can make here.