QR to advertise for new drivers

Queensland Rail will start advertising for people not already employed by the company, after the Fair Work Commission ruled in the rail operator's favour over the protests of the Rail Tram and Bus Union.

QR took the RTBU to a snap hearing of the commission on Thursday, a day after the union lodged a formal complaint over the rail operator's plan to advertise externally for train drivers.

External recruitment of train crew was one of the key recommendations of the Strachan report into QR's systemic rostering failures last year, which saw crew shortages affect hundreds of services across southeast Queensland's rail network.

As of last month, QR had trained just 28 of the 200 new drivers needed to stabilise its roster, with people already employed by QR in other roles considered for driver training in the first instance.

The union had flagged possible action over external recruitment earlier this year.

It claimed external recruitment would override provisions in the enterprise bargaining agreement for drivers which ensured candidates already employed by QR would be considered first.

It's not known if the union is planning industrial action as a result of the ruling, with bus drivers already holding multiple strike actions due to an ongoing industrial dispute with Brisbane City Council.

A government spokeswoman said ads calling for people to apply to become a QR driver would go out on Friday, after originally being scheduled for Thursday.