Telecommunications

The Communications Electrical and Plumbing Union (CEPU) congratulates Cameron Thiele on his election as Communications Divisional Secretary. Mr Thiele said his focus would be on implementing major new workplace agreements within Australia Post and Telstra in a time of structural and technological change in the postal and telecommunications industries. “The recent endorsement of a new Fair Work Agreement by our

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CEPU members have hard-fought many trying campaigns in the last 12 months. At this time last year, CEPU members employed by Telstra were engaged in protected industrial action, CEPU members employed by Australia Post were in preparation stages for their protected industrial action, and Foxtel sub-contractor CEPU members were engaging in on again – off again industrial action. All these

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Telstra is set to close its Grafton call centre – because people don’t want to work there. That at any rate appears to be the implication of statements by Telstra itself. Some 108 employees will be affected by the closure which would see functions relocated in Brisbane and Melbourne. Asked by the ABC for the reasons for the move, Telstra

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The CEPU is close to finalising an Enterprise Agreement that will cover technical staff directly employed by NBN Co. Negotiations began some time ago but were delayed due to uncertainties surrounding the National Broadband Network’s future, caused by Coalition policies announced during the federal election campaign. With the formation of Gillard Labor Government and the certainty of future of the NBN, the

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The Telstra EA was approved by Fair Work Australia today following an overwhelming yes vote by employees. The new EA will come in to force from next Friday, 24 September.

The approval of a new Union-negotiated collective agreement covering 10,000 employees at Telstra is a major achievement for Union members as provided for under the Fair Work Act 2009. The new enterprise agreement which was resoundingly approved by Telstra  workers, will deliver an initial 2% pay rise backdated to 1 July 2010 and further pay rises totalling 6% between now and October  2011 . Employee participation was exceptionally high with a 71% returning

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The release of the NBN contractor short-list for construction of the NBN has prompted the CEPU to question the company’s employment model. NBN Co has now released the names of 21 companies which have been invited to tender for NBN work. It includes all the telecommunications contractor majors such as Visionstream, Service Stream, Transfield, Downer, Baulderstone and Silcar together with

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The CEPU met with Telstra recently to discuss the impact of the Telstra/NBN Co agreement on the company and its employees. Obviously the agreement, if it goes ahead, will bring about a radical restructuring of the company and its operations over the next decade. The CEPU wishes to ensure that its members are protected in this process and that new

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Negotiations for an Enterprise Agreement with Visionstream have been progressing. The New EA will replace the current non-Union Employee Collective Agreement and Australian Workplace Agreements used by Visionstream under the Howard Workchoices legislation. There remain some key issues that are still require further negotiation, including salary increases and redundancy provisions. Visionstream members will be kept informed of progress.

The Heads of Agreement signed yesterday between Telstra and the National Broadband Network Company is good news for jobs in Australia’s communications industry and good news for our national infrastructure says the ACTU and the CEPU. The deal announced by Prime Minister Kevin Rudd and Telstra CEO David Thodey will ensure NBN Co, the government-owned company rolling out the network,

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