For some time your Union has been highlighting the plight of telecommunication industry workers who find themselves stuck in a cycle of systemic insecure work.
Some of the major contractors to Telstra and NBN have established, what we refer to as, pyramid subcontracting schemes – driven by the extreme ends of corporate greed.
Under these pyramid subcontracting schemes, the worker at the bottom of the food chain, often under-trained and under-resourced, is left with peanuts while the principal contractors at the top are making handsome profits at the expense of providing customers with a decent and quality service.
With most of this work being undertaken on the NBN, we continue to see these subbies on piece rates rushing through jobs to be able earn as close to a living daily wage as possible.
But we say this exploitation will result in very short-term gains for Telstra, NBN Co and the principal contractors. Customers are already pulling their hair out, workers are hurting and the Government is bleeding taxpayer funds through the nose at trying to address technical issues with their NBN whilst ignoring the systematic abuse of employment arrangements that is the root cause.
Your Union has been consulting closely with our legal representatives to consider any and all possible legal remedies available through the court system to address this unfair treatment of our members. And today, a class action lawsuit by Shine Lawyers on behalf of an individual subbie has been announced against just one of the companies we claim are contributing to this significant employment emergency – Tandem (formerly ISGM).
This is just one avenue against just one company that has been considered by your Union.
However, although a range of legal remedies is currently being considered by your Union and lawyers, now that this action has been announced, it cannot be ignored.
Therefore, we will be helping Interested members with joining this class action.
Current and former subcontractors to Tandem or ISGM
All CEPU/CWU member telecommunications subcontractors who currently, or may have in the past, performed work via the subcontracting model to Tandem or ISGM, should register their interest in joining the class action.
For subbies to other telecommunications contractors
Members performing work under similar contracting arrangements for other companies in the industry (BSA, Service Stream etc) should register their interest in participating in further action against these other companies by clicking here.
If you are in contact with any former member no longer in the industry who at some stage provided subcontracting services to any telecommunications contractor, you are encouraged to share this email with them.
In the meantime, if you require any further information, please contact Branch Officials Peter O’Connell or James Perkins on (02) 9893 7822.
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