MEDIA ALERT
When: 7:30AM Monday May 3, 2021
What: NBN technicians meet to discuss walking off job over NBN chaos
Where: Parramatta Park, entry via Pitt Street (Near old Government House)
Media contact: Amelia Brock, 0430 187 161
Technicians working on the NBN project around the country may walk off the job tomorrow over cuts to their pay rates, a debacle causing chaos in job bookings and scheduling, pyramid sham contracting arrangements and overall poor treatment.
The Union representing NBN workers, the CEPU, is expecting hundreds of subcontractors to attend a meeting at Parramatta Park at 7.30am tomorrow morning as they struggle to make ends meet with many either threatening to walk off the job today or walk away from the industry altogether.
The subcontractors will meet to discuss the best course of action to making their concerns heard.
CEPU National President and NSW/ACT Branch Secretary Shane Murphy said “The mismanagement of Australia’s NBN network continues to be left unaddressed and workers have had enough.
“Subcontractors are fed up with cuts to their pay and a shambolic booking system which is leaving subcontractors and NBN customers high and dry.
“Subcontractors are being forced to sign new contracts with NBN Co Delivery partners which cut their pay, whilst NBN executives paid themselves $77m in bonuses during the pandemic. It’s infuriating.
“These NBN Co subcontractors have continued to keep the country’s internet services connected during the covid-19 pandemic, turning up for work day in, day out. They deserve better from NBN Co.
“These technicians are highly skilled workers – yet because of the NBN’s ‘pyramid style’ sham contracting scheme, it’s the executives and middle-men who are profiting from Australia’s NBN while the people doing the work are getting get ripped off and consumers continue to suffer with substandard connections.”
The NBN has been plagued by ongoing issues, with subcontractors the latest to feel the effects with pay cuts and a work dispatch system that is taking subbies up to 3 hours to book work off – threatening to send their small business to the wall, whilst leaving customers waiting for technicians to turn up to their next job.
“Worker’s want the NBN Co to ditch the dodgy Work app, increase technician pay not cut it & commit to scrapping the pyramid subcontracting rorts.” Mr Muprhy said.
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