Real risks to your conditions
Telstra management has once again raised the prospect of dividing employees into “Part A” and “Part B” groups.
You may recall Telstra attempted to roll out an agreement with “Part A” and “Part B” to call centre employees in November 2007. Employees overwhelmingly voted to reject the agreement because it significantly reduced conditions. The Draft agreement included in Part B:
– No certainty with start and finish times: could be anytime on any day
– No guaranteed payment for overtime
– Redundancy reduced to three weeks per year of service instead of four, and capped at 30 weeks for new employees.
– No guaranteed pay increases
Telstra says your conditions are too generous
Telstra used early negotiations to tell Unions that your current conditions are too generous.
In particular, they canvassed changes including:
– significantly reduce redundancy pay, including capping the amount for employees with long service
– Cutting RDOs
– Abolish grandfathering provisions
Unions have argued vigorously against them in negotiations.
Unions win early breakthroughs
Recent correspondence from Telstra confirms we have won some important breakthroughs. These include, for current EBA employees, retention of:
– Redundancy pay
– Grandfathering
– Hours of work
– Penalty payments
– Leave arrangements
Telstra has now confirmed employees on AWAs can move off them without disadvantage (after they expires).
Unions propose new way forward: A constructive relationship to reduce uncertainty
Everytime we talk with you and your fellow staff, you’ve made it clear you want:
– Certainty about your rights at work
– Clarity about what the changes in Australia’s workplace laws means for you
– Advice and representation and access to your Union representatives
– A more positive and constructive relationship between Telstra and your Union
To achieve certainty about the transition for Telstra employees, as a result of the new Labor Government, Unions have proposed a more constructive and cooperative relationship that is based on a ‘Memorandum of Understanding’ (MoU) between Telstra workers and management.
While management says they support a ‘constructive relationship’, they have asked Unions to withdraw the proposed MoU because of what they say are “legal problems”.
Unions do not believe there are any legal problems with developing a constructive and cooperative relationship.
In fact, we have received support from the Deputy Prime Minister for our approach.
It is also wrong for management to suggest that Unions are not concerned with ensuring the company grows and is able to provide good jobs through the roll out of broadband and other major industry developments.
Of course we want to see the company grow and provide decent, secure jobs for our members and all Telstra workers.
Let’s move forward
Our legal advice is there is no significant barrier to Telstra signing the proposed MoU agreement.
However, we are happy to deal with management’s concerns by having the proposed agreement checked by an independent umpire – the Department of Employment and Workplace Relations.
If any provisions are a problem we will be happy to drop them.
But if there are no “legal problems”, we trust that management will then enter into the MoU. This should answer management’s concerns and show whether the “legal problems” are a real barrier or just an excuse to delay a more cooperative approach.
Democracy at work: we want you to have your say
The Constructive Relationship/MoU we have proposed aims to clarify your rights at work. One of those rights is for you to have a say.
We think every single Telstra worker should be offered the opportunity to vote on whether Telstra management embraces the constructive relationship.
We hope that Telstra management accept this invitation to put the MoU out for a company-wide vote.
Discussing a constructive relationship
So far, Telstra has called off five days of scheduled EBA negotiations. you may be scratching your head and wondering, “if Telstra supports a constructive relationship, it doesn’t seem very constructive by refusing to meet!”
Hopefully our constructive proposals to get the umpire’s decision and have a vote will enable us to move forward.
We remain ready and willing to negotiate. We have made clear we do not require agreement on the MoU to continue bargaining.
Critical issues still to be decided
We are keen to carry on addressing your concerns in negotiations, including:
– Rights of employees on AWAs to move onto the EBA when they choose, without disadvantage
– Level of pay rise
– Two classes of employees – the Part A/Part B argument
– Superannuation and take-home pay
– What a fair performance pay system should look like
– Access to salary sacrifice for all employees
You can view and download many of the documents mentioned in this bulletin here:
www.rightsatwork.com.au/campaigns/telstra
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