CALL FOR NOMINATIONS
Thursday 3 June, 2010
Dear Members,
Please be advised that currently we have 2 vacancies on the CEPU Communications Division SA/NT Branch Committee of Management for the Postal Industries Section.
We are calling for nominations for these positions from any interested members and if more nominations than the required number are received a decision will be made on the filling of these vacancies by the committee on Wednesday 14th July, 2010.
These positions are for the term remaining up to the 31st July 2011.
Nominations should be in writing to the Branch Secretary by the close of business Tuesday 13th July, 2010.
Please contact the branch at any time if you require more information.
Yours sincerely,
Graham Lorrain
Branch Secretary
CEPU Communications Division SA/NT
Graham.Lorrain@sant.cepu.asn.au
Download a PDF version of this notice here.
Notice of legal protected industrial action
All CEPU Members working for Telstra are advised that the CEPU has called a NATIONAL ban on Overtime, Recalls and Emergency Duty Call Outs ACROSS ALL AREAS OF TELSTRA commencing:
12:01AM WEDNESDAY 23 DECEMBER 2009 UNTIL FURTHER NOTICE
These bans are directed at all CEPU members employed by Telstra who are employed on the existing (although expired) Enterprise Agreement or an expired A.W.A., ( but does not include those members working under a current AWA or recently introduced E.C.A. ). These bans have been applied in all States and Territories of Australia.
It is important to note that all Industrial Action undertaken throughout South Australia and Northern Territory has been LAWFUL and PROTECTED in accordance with the Fair Work Act - 2009 and all decisions handed down by Fair Work Australia (previously known as the Australian Industrial Relations Commission). Be aware of Telstra managers who speak with forked tongue and attempt to imply that this action is either UNPROTECTED or UNLAWFUL.
All eligible SA / NT members are urged to participate in conjunction with their colleagues Australia wide and follows membership surveys that overwhelmingly rejected Telstra’s attempts to divide staff with unfair and unjustified disparity between the EBA wage offer and that offered to ECA staff last year.
Membership consultation and surveys conducted across Australia in recent weeks indicated that 89% were committed to securing a fair and reasonable pay outcome for our replacement EBA.
Important advice for members
To take part in this CEPU authorised Protected Industrial Action you must be:
- Currently employed with Telstra.
- A current member of the CEPU - if you are not a member you can join now online at http://www.cepuconnects.org
- Employed under the terms and conditions of the current Enterprise Agreement (EA) or an Australian Workplace Agreement (AWA) which has already passed its nominal expiry date.
- Only the action notified in the places listed on this notice can be taken - no other action can be taken by anyone other than those working within the workplaces listed in this notice.
- Emergency and life threatening services should always be carried out. Call the Union if you are unsure about the nature of the work assigned to you during Protected Industrial Action periods.
- Members are to contact their Union immediately if any manager threatens to injure their employment in any way for taking part in any authorised Legal Protected Industrial Action.
If you require further information in relation to this Protected Industrial Action, please contact John Lee (0418 807683) or Steve Butterworth (0419 415824).
Industrial action specifically directed towards members working in the C&M and I&M Groups within Service Delivery SA/NT
Bans on unpaid work began on Monday, 14th December, 2009, UNTIL FURTHER NOTICE, commencing with ‘START OF DAY LOG-ON PROCEDURES.'
If your nominal start time is (say 7:30 am), you are required under the current Enterprise Agreement to commence your Laptop Log-On 30 minutes prior. (ie 7:00 am).
Members in C&M and I&M are requested to now commence their Log-Ons at 7:30 am - being their nominal start time - (rather than 7:00 am) as PROTECTED INDUSTRIAL ACTION.
‘END OF DAY PROCEDURES’ will be considered at a later stage.
If you are unsure, please ring John Lee or Steve Butterworth at the Branch Office on (08) 8232 5999.
Authorised by :- John Lee, Branch President, CEPU - Communications Branch (SA / NT), Adelaide.
Welfare Fund
Members who are not involved in the key area action, should donate to the 'CEPU Members Welfare Fund' to help sustain those members who are out on strike for extended periods in the key areas.
The details of the welfare fund payment process are as follows:
- Cash paid over the front counter of the Branch Office at 40 Hurtle Square, City.
- Cheque or money order made out to the CEPU Welfare Fund and posted to the Branch Office, 40 Hurtle Square, Adelaide, 5000
- Credit Card over the phone to the Branch - (08) 8232 5999. (There is no BPAY facility).
If you wish to make a claim to help with any hardship being experienced, please contact JOHN LEE, Branch President, on (08) 8232 5999..
The Welfare Fund is administered by a three person committee elected by the Committee of Management and it will be separately audited and published to members so that they can keep abreast of its operations.
All donations to the fund, and any hardship claims on the fund, are strictly confidential.
CALL FOR NOMINATIONS
Tuesday 18 August, 2009
Dear Members,
Please be advised that currently we have 2 vacancies on the CEPU Communications Division SA/NT Branch Committee of Management Telecommunications Group.
Any member interested in nominating for these vacancies can do so in writing or email and should be addressed to the Branch Secretary, 30-40 Hurtle Square Adelaide SA 5000.
Nominations will open from 9:00am Wednesday the 19th August 2009 until 12 noon Tuesday the 1st September 2009.
The committee meets on the second Wednesday of each month with the meetings commencing at 5:30pm.
Any member that requires any further information regarding the above please call the Branch on 8232 5999.
Yours sincerely,
Graham Lorrain
Branch Secretary
CEPU Communications Division SA/NT
Graham.Lorrain@sant.cepu.asn.au
Good faith bargaining in Telstra- what you need to know
25 June, 2009
The CEPU and Telstra have now begun talks aimed at reaching a new Enterprise Agreement in the company.
The formal process of making the new EA will be governed by Labor’s new Fair Work Act which commences on 1 July. This is when Labor’s “good faith bargaining” rules come into operation.
But the way the negotiating parties behave right now can also be taken into account in future if there is a question about whether they have bargained in good faith.
It is important that all CEPU delegates and other members understand the rules of good faith bargaining and the obligations it puts on both Telstra and the CEPU.
WHAT IS GOOD FAITH BARGAINING?
Under the Howard Government’s workplace laws, employers did not have to bargain with employee representative organisations (i.e. unions) at all.
Under Labor’s laws, this will change. A company which wants to get a new agreement with its employees MUST negotiate with their chosen representatives.
They must also bargain with them in “good faith”. The Fair Work Act spells out what this means. Telstra must:
- Attend and participate in meetings at reasonable times
- Disclose relevant information in a timely manner
- Give genuine consideration to any proposals put by the CEPU and give reasons for its response to them
- Not act irresponsibly or unfairly in a way that undermines bargaining or employees’ freedom of association (i.e. union) rights.
The CEPU and any other employee representatives bargaining with Telstra must also observe these rules.
WHY DOES IT MATTER NOW?
Although the Fair Work Act does not start to apply to bargaining until 1 July, the way Telstra and the CEPU behave now can affect certain decisions further down the track.
For instance, if Telstra decided to just walk away from the bargaining table, as it did last year, it would be possible after 1 July to get an order from Fair Work Australia (the new industrial umpire) to make the company continue negotiations. Fair Work Australia would be able to consider Telstra’s behaviour now in deciding whether or not to make such an order.
The same rules apply to the CEPU. For instance, if negotiations with Telstra broke down and the CEPU was forced to consider taking further industrial action, our bargaining behaviour both before and after 1 July could be taken into account by Fair Work Australia before it authorised such action (or another ballot for industrial action).
KEEPING THEM HONEST
Telstra’s decision to put its best foot forward and start Enterprise Agreement talks before 1 July shows it understands the importance of playing by the new rules. For its part, the CEPU has suspended its industrial action campaign to show its commitment to the good faith bargaining process.
Over the coming weeks, it will be important to make sure that Telstra honours this “truce” and does not engage in any behaviour which could undermine the bargaining process or unfairly affect our members.
This includes any attempts to intimidate or discriminate against CEPU members on the basis of their participation in the union’s industrial campaign. Such action would be contrary to the principle of freedom of association and would be in breach of the good faith bargaining rules.
CEPU delegates and other members should immediately report any instances of such discrimination to the union.
A POSITIVE START
Finally, it is important for members to be aware that the new good faith bargaining rules do not impose any obligations on either Telstra of the CEPU to accept each other’s proposals or in fact to come to an agreement at all.
However, the CEPU is optimistic about the possibilities of establishing a better working relationship with Telstra’s new management than existed under the former regime.
While it is still early days, the meetings which have been held so far have proceeded in a positive way.
It is to be hoped that they can be concluded in the same spirit and deliver an agreement which reflects a proper respect for Telstra employees and their contribution to the company.
Members will be kept informed of developments. For more information contact your union or call 1800 102 360 or go to www.cepuconnects.org
Authorised by: E. Husic, CEPU - Communications Division
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Enterrpise bargaining - what's next?
June 23, 2009
With the Federal Government’s new workplace laws about to come into effect, there are opportunities for Telstra staff to win better outcomes at work.
Door opening on negotiations
Telstra have returned to the negotiations, and committed to the “good faith bargaining” provisions of the new Fair Work Act. Telstra unions hope these moves mean a change to Telstra’s aggressive and legalistic approach of past years. Two initial meetings have been held. Discussions have been about bargaining arrangements under the new laws, and provision of information about some of the major issues e.g. details of various classification structures and performance pay arrangements.
While negotiations have recommenced a positive outcome is far from guaranteed. Telstra employees will need to be prepared to stand up and support the issues that are important to them.
One Telstra agreement?
Telstra has said its bargaining focus is staff still covered by the Telstra Enterprise Agreement 2005-2008. This approach may leave in place the many non-negotiated, non-union employee collective agreements (ECAs) – a product of Telstra’s “divide and conquer” tactics of last year. Many staff have said they want to see a single agreement, including ECA areas. The new legislation allows unions to apply to the new independent umpire – Fair Work Australia - for a ‘scope order’ if there is a disagreement on who will be covered by a proposed agreement.
Choice for AWA staff
Despite the Government’s decision to ban all new AWAs over a year ago, some Telstra staff remain on AWAs with expiry dates running as late as 2013. Under the new laws, employee and employer can agree to “conditionally terminate” the AWA before the expiry date – so long as the proposed enterprise agreement is approved. This would allow the affected employees to vote on the new collective agreement – and if approved - the AWA would cease to operate. Telstra unions will talk to AWA staff who want to be covered by the enterprise agreement about their options.
Industrial action
Recent amendments to the new legislation mean that unions will be able to apply for continuation of protected industrial action arrangements beyond 1 July. If approved, this will mean the members will still be able to take protected industrial action.
Building support
Technical moves like applying for orders are not enough by themselves - we will need to build support for our case. Telstra unions will be asking you and your colleagues to demonstrate your support for a single, union negotiated collective agreement, and for choice for AWA staff to be covered by it.
We need your help
We need to talk to all members and potential members to provide information about their new rights and build support for the campaign. If you can help get this information out to all Telstra staff, let us know by calling 1800 102 360 or go to www.cepuconnects.org.
What if I’m not yet a member?
If you haven’t joined your union yet, the most important way to show support is by joining up! Call 1800 102 360 or go to www.cepuconnects.org to join.
Where can I find out more? 1800 102 360 or go to www.cepuconnects.org.
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