CEPU members have overwhelmingly voted ‘yes’ in a protected action ballot – a move which now allows them to take industrial action if Telstra continues to refuse to provide its workers with a fair enterprise agreement.
Of eligible members who voted in the ballot, which was run by the Australian Electoral Commission, 88% said they are prepared to engage in industrial action.
Communications Divisional National President, Shane Murphy, said that workers are fed up with Telstra’s refusal to provide its employees with fair pay and conditions.
“Workers have spent many months trying to get Telstra to come to the table with a fair wage offer,” Mr Murphy said.
“We’ve got to this point because Telstra is asking workers to take a pay cut in real terms. It’s a disgrace.
The protected action vote comes as the telco is slashing over 9000 jobs – one of the biggest job purges in Australian corporate history.
“This vote demonstrates that workers are fed up and are ready to take action, if it comes to that.
“At this stage, no action is being undertaken. This result provides workers with the option of taking protected industrial action if we need to go down that track.
“Of course we don’t want to be forced to take protected industrial action, but at this point Telstra isn’t leaving us with many other options.
“We hope that Telstra will now come to the table and offer its workers the fair pay and conditions that workers need before we need to take any sort of action.
“First Telstra slashes jobs, and now management are asking the remaining workforce to take a pay cut.
“It’s time that Telstra put forward a fair and reasonable offer so that workers aren’t forced to take action.”
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