The CEPU met with Telstra recently to discuss the impact of the Telstra/NBN Co agreement on the company and its employees.
Obviously the agreement, if it goes ahead, will bring about a radical restructuring of the company and its operations over the next decade. The CEPU wishes to ensure that its members are protected in this process and that new opportunities in the company open for them as others close.
On the negative side, Telstra indicated that the agreement with NBN Co would not lead to any revision of the 900 redundancies already planned for the company.
The CEPU rejected this view. The union considers that it now makes more sense than ever for Telstra to retain skilled workers in the company. A permanent skilled workforce is one major advantage the company has over the other companies that will bid for NBN work.
On the plus side, however, Telstra indicated that it would be seeking every opportunity to participate in NBN Co work including the roll-out of fibre to new estates which will become an NBN Co responsibility from 1 January next year.
It is also expected that any Telstra employees engaged on NBN work would remain employees of Telstra, rather than being transferred to another company such as NBN Co or a third party. This would be another positive as it would mean that all existing conditions, including Telstra redundancy entitlements, would continue to apply to these employees.
Telstra also agreed with the CEPU that there was a need to identify the longer-term job opportunities that would exist in the company in a future environment where Telstra no longer operated a fixed Customer Access Network.
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