Following our conference involving the Fair Work Commission last week regarding Visionstream’s current job cutting campaign, the Union and the company met to discuss our concerns around the current process – particularly around their external recruitment programs and redeployment opportunities available for members who wish to maintain employment with the company..
Your Union secured a number of outcomes during these talks, including:
- Undertakings not to introduce external applicants into the candidacy pool for vacancies until the redeployment process with affected members has been exhausted
- Undertakings to keep the Union updated about the progress of interviews for impacted members who are seeking redeployment
- Undertakings to provide detailed feedback to all members who have interviewed for positions by tomorrow, which is the current planned exit date
- Former Silcar employees who are successfully redeployed will continue to have their conditions subject to the Silcar Schedule in the current fieldwork EBA
These outcomes are a demonstrated change in attitude, with processes to manage this situation which are now more transparent. Given this, the action in the Fair Work Commission has been discontinued as of yesterday – but with our rights reserved to reapply for the Commission’s assistance and intervention should circumstances change to warrant this.
However, although our concerns around the process itself have been addressed and we are satisfied with the process improvements and transparency, the company maintains that the use of contract labour is for supplementary purposes only.
They provided examples of where some may perceive that contractors are used, rather than employees, but maintain this is due to work orders received without warning where they are unable to effectively predict future labour requirements.
Currently there remains more employees seeking redeployment than there are available vacancies of a suitable and comparable nature.
Any member who may be experiencing any difficulty, or is concerned about their attempts to secure redeployment, should contact Branch Officials Peter O’Connell or James Perkins for assistance as soon as possible and prior to the exit deadline on (02) 9893 7822.
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