Bargaining commenced today for new Enterprise Agreements across the Telstra group.
Discussions were limited mostly to establishing protocols and a framework for negotiations for the multiple Agreements which will now cover the Telstra Group of companies, including Telstra Purple.
In addition however, Telstra did table some key principles which it intends to guide their approach to negotiations. Those being:
- Maintaining industry leading terms and conditions: including 15 days’ personal leave, the 36.75 hour work week, and redundancy accruals. Telstra has committed to not seeking to reduce these industry leading terms and conditions and have given assurances about this.
- Including Telstra Purple Pty Ltd (TPPL) employees in bargaining. Telstra intends for the new Telstra Limited EA to also apply to TPPL employees currently covered by the TPPL EA as well. Telstra advised that, as a principle, it will seek to harmonise terms and conditions so that EA benefits are consistent across Telstra and TPPL teams who work alongside each other.
- Telstra is committed to bargaining in good faith and to provide clarity and certainty on future terms and conditions for employees across the Telstra group of companies.
Although it is early days and much of today’s meeting was focussed on logistics, the Union’s bargaining team welcomes these guiding principles.
Remember, the Union is currently conducting a survey of members, which closes on 8 March.
In the meantime, we will keep you updated as bargaining progresses. With the next meeting between Telstra and the Union to occur on 4 March.
Should you require any further information, please contact Assistant Secretaries Cameron Bird, Peter Chaloner or Nick Townsend, or Branch Officials Cade Anderson, Lisa Bahls, Peter O’Connell or Brett O’Neill on (02) 9893 7822 when calling from NSW or the ACT, (07) 3255 0440 from QLD or (08) 8443 7389 from SA or the NT.
Yours faithfully,
SHANE MURPHY
CENTRAL BRANCH SECRETARY
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