Authorised by :      B. Blackburne,  CEPU;      L. Persse, CPSU;      C. Walton,  APESMA;      J. Lawrence,  ACTU.

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Creating the best environment for EA negotiations

June 12, 2009

The  CEPU  has announced that it will immediately suspend its  Industrial Action  campaign
within Telstra.

Late yesterday afternoon, a teleconference of the Union's Divisional Executive unanimously voted to suspend action following Telstra’s commitment to enter into formal talks ahead of  1st  July.

“The CEPU is committed to good faith bargaining with Telstra”  CEPU National President,  Mr  Ed Husic said.

“Telstra’s brought a positive attitude to the discussions with Unions and it is telling us it wants to finalise an enterprise agreement  (E.A.).   The CEPU wants to play its part in making this happen.”

“Since Telstra is prepared to resume talks, the  CEPU  Divisional Executive unanimously supports suspending the industrial action campaign to demonstrate our commitment to deliver positive and productive negotiations.”

The CEPU said the decision would take immediate effect, with all notices for pending industrial action to be withdrawn.

This means any action notified to take affect from today and the  weekend,  is  suspended.

“While there is still a long way to go to secure the good quality  EBA  that all Telstra employees deserve, we want to give every chance possible for the talks to succeed,” Mr Husic said.

Telstra and the Unions will meet again next Wednesday, 17th  June  to continue E.A. negotiations.

The Divisional Executive decision is reproduced below :-

John Lee
Branch President
CEPU – Communications Division  (SA / NT)

11th  June,  2009.

 

CEPU  (Communications  Division)  Divisional  Executive  Resolution

“The Divisional Executive  (D.E.)  notes the report from the  CEPU  negotiators about the initial discussions held with Telstra  H.R.  on Friday,  5th  June,  2009  regarding the future steps required to recommence  E.B.A.  negotiations.


The  D.E.  notes that these discussions were positive, with our negotiators reporting that it appears the new  C.E.O.  of Telstra, Mr David Thodey, has cleared the way for Telstra negotiators to bargain in good faith in order to try to reach an agreement with the Unions for a new E.B.A..

Importantly, it appears Telstra is open to Union requests to recommence talks in June, once an initial exchange of information is completed between the parties.

Given this position - and considering the request from Telstra that all strike and other industrial action cease - the  CEPU  Communications Divisional Executive agrees to temporarily suspend all industrial action to allow the negotiations to proceed in the best possible environment.

This position is to take immediate effect and all notices for pending industrial action will be withdrawn.

While there is still a long way to go to secure the good quality  E.B.A.  that Telstra employees deserve, our members can be very proud of their efforts so far, and the  CEPU  congratulates and thanks them for their support, determination and commitment.

The  CEPU  and its members are committed to good faith bargaining and we enter the process hoping for a good result for members and the business as a whole.”

 

                                                                                                                                   CARRIED.

200 call centre jobs cut: Post’s bicentennial gift to workers

May 21, 2009

CEPU to fight Post’s call centre job cuts

After sitting on their hands for years, Australia Post announced with lightening speed – in one afternoon – to smash over 200 call centre worker jobs.

And instead of working with unions to find other ways to approach the restructuring of its call centre function Post decided that now – in a recession – is the best time to throw its employees out on the street. 

By making this decision without any input from unions, Post has broken their own industrial agreements – agreements that tell them they must consult and give unions a chance to influence their decision … before the decision is made.

This is the current attitude that has gripped senior management in Australia Post.  We’ve written to Post letting them know exactly how we feel. They have been recently hauled in front of courts about this and measures have been taken to prevent them from making snap decisions that affect the livelihoods of their employees.

What is especially disgraceful about this is that the Managing Director of Post vowed to unions in February this year that this abysmal approach to consultation would stop.  We ask members to measure Post’s words against Post’s actions.

Key points:

1. Post told call centre workers about the job cuts at the same time we were told.
2. Post has been working on this plan for months, but withheld information from the union about what was happening.
3. In February this year national officials of the union asked Post what was happening – Post replied that NO DECISION HAD BEEN MADE ABOUT RATIONALISATION OF THE CENTRES.
4. Two weeks ago union officials from our NSW branch asked management what was happening with the call centre in Sydney and management pretended not to know about anything that would be happening to the centre. 
5. Post’s letter to the unions focussed on the good news about 137 jobs to be created in Melbourne’s call centre.  That is good news – but did they give any information about the jobs of current employees? No.  We estimate over 200 jobs will be cut.
6. We’ve called for urgent discussions to be held with Post about why it is doing this now.
7. The union’s absolute focus will be to save jobs for union members who want them.

If you have concerns or questions, please call the State Branch of the CEPU.

Graham Lorrain

Branch Secretary

Can you trust Telstra’s advice?

29 January, 2009

Telstra HR have been forced to admit that some local managers have given incorrect information to staff about redundancy rights in the latest agreement proposals.  Team leaders are also under huge pressure from above to get ECA votes through before workplace laws change.  So before you make a decision about your future – make sure you get all the facts from your union. We are industrial experts…and we’re on your side.

Industrial action having big effects
Of course, Telstra are playing down the unions’ campaign, but we know its working.  Recent developments include:

• Three+ weeks delays in tickets of work in maintenance (services) and installation (provisioning);
• At least three separate delays to banks being cut over under Telstra’s new transformation project;
• Major failures in EFTPOS and ATM services -  up to a third of the network down. Failures at Fuel Stations and the IGA grocery chain;
• Shutdown of alarm indicators at the Global Operations Centre which showed overload of faults; Telstra has been forced to downgrade alarm status of faults to make them appear less important; and
• Transmission and network failures e.g. Austpac, mobiles in Queensland, WA and Victoria, major NAB outage, Service Delivery in Adelaide leading to six times the delay in repairs.

This disruption is Telstra’s fault. HR needs to come back to the table so we can get on with negotiations.
By voting No to Telstra’s offer and supporting the unions’ campaign, you can make a difference.

Is the voting system fair?

Concerns are growing about online ECA voting, as a voting record goes straight to your Telstra email address.  Many staff want Telstra to use the Australian Electoral Commission, but even when the AEC is involved, Telstra won’t release vote outcomes or allow scrutineers for counts. Todays newspapers report the AEC has stated some Telstra ECA ballots were flawed and did not meet AEC standards.

A decent and fair place to work

Your agreement is only as good as its dispute settling process.  Telstra does not want you to have access to the independent umpire (AIRC/Fair Work Australia) if you have a dispute at work.  Access to the umpire means employers act more fairly.   Part B of Telstra’s ECA gives management total control on pay, classification and hours or work.  Part B staff will be the bulk of the workforce and their numbers will increase over time, so there will be pressure on all staff.

Expired AWA staff – Be AWAre!

Telstra’s offer contains two completely different classification and pay scales.  Many union members who have tried to translate from AWAs to the Part A pay system have been told that rate for the work they do is far less - so your “choice” to move to Part A may be no choice at all! Telstra’s pay and classification system is unfair and needs to be reviewed. 

Pay and Inflation

 Telstra are saying it’s a good pay rise.  In considering their offer, it’s important to remember that an agreement is a package of wages, conditions and rights.   Its also important to consider increases in cost of living since you last got a payrise in September 2007  (the ABS Analytical Cost of Living Index for employee households increased 5.7% in the 12 months to June 2008); and your capacity to negotiate in future if Telstra’s divide and conquer strategy is successful. 

Where can I find out more? For more information go to www.yourrightsattelstra.com or call 1300 362 223.

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CALL FOR NOMINATIONS

9th January 2009

Dear Members,

Please be advised that currently we have 2 vacancies on the CEPU Communications Division SA/NT Branch Committee of Management Postal 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 Monday the 12th January 2009 until 12 noon Wednesday the 11th February 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

CEPU ad campaign tackles postie penalty rates
February 4, 2008

“EBA = Respect” campaign Campaign Launch
The CEPU is launching an advertising campaign in major metropolitan and regional newspapers to put a spot light on Australia Post’s unfair policy of ripping penalty rates off new employees, especially those in delivery. While EBA7 will provide a medium term method of reintroducing penalty shifts for affected PDO’s, Australia Post has said it still wants to hire new starters at a time that will see staff miss out on penalty rates. The CEPU has told Post that the union will campaign strongly against this practice – and the national ad campaign is proof of our commitment to see the end of this deliberate policy by Post to rip off our members. Make no mistake: these straight talking ads are a pointed reminder that Australia Post – with its massive profits and big executive bonuses – is squeezing the incomes of our members. The ads call on people applying for jobs with Australia Post to demand the same conditions as existing staff. This will ensure people doing the same work, get the same pay. Longer term, it may also address the staff shortages affecting Post as a result of upset new starters leaving the corporation after learning that Post is financially disadvantaging them. Expect Australia Post to launch an outraged response to the ads, claiming that the union is damaging the corporation’s image and brand. However we think Post management has a lot to answer for, with its actions short-changing employees and creating a skill shortage that leads to excessive overtime, overworked employees and potential health and safety risks with tired staff working longer hours. There’s a straight forward solution to this issue: pay CEPU members their penalty rates to make sure enough people are employed within Post to get the mail out properly!   Graham Lorrain Branch Secretary. 4th February, 2008.

Your Rights At Work were worth voting for!

Congratulations CEPU members: overwhelmingly, you were part of a massive wave of votes that swept out a government – and is about to sweep out WorkChoices.

Very early on election night it was clear that history was being made:

• With one of the biggest swings to a political party since World War II – a swing that was bigger than the one that put John Howard into power in 1996
• Only the second time in history that a Prime Minister has lost his seat – after trying to radically change the country’s industrial relations system
• And political commentators – along with Government ministers – believe WorkChoices was a reason for the Government’s downfall.

The CEPU and its members invested time and resources through the Your Rights At Work campaign to help build public support to change WorkChoices.

The campaign also highlighted to workers how badly they were being treated under the Howard Government’s workplace laws. 

In workplaces across the country, employees felt that WorkChoices had given some managers the green light to act and behave poorly.  Hard fought wages and conditions were being worn away because the law let this happen.

This is why WorkChoices – and the government that brought it in ­–had to go.

The CEPU would like to thank members for their fantastic support of the Your Rights At Work campaign.

You have every reason to celebrate.  Now for the next part – changing WorkChoices.

It’s already been reported that the Rudd Government is aiming to introduce changes to WorkChoices in the new year.

According to the ACTU, the union’s priorities for change include: restoring the award safety net to stop WorkChoices agreements undermining wages and conditions; strengthening the right to collectively bargain; the seeing the return of an "independent umpire" along with the abolition of AWAs.

We look forward to seeing fairer, balanced workplace laws that protect Your Rights At Work.  The election is an important step in the struggle on behalf of CEPU members but we will continue to build our organisation independently as Governments come and go.

Yours sincerely,

Graham Lorrain
Branch Secretary.

27 November, 2007

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Members' vote secures new, stronger EBA offer.

The CEPU congratulates members for their support of the Australia Post EBA7 protected industrial action ballot.

Their strong stand has helped push Australia Post back to the negotiating table in an effort to finalise EBA7.

The CEPU, CPSU and Australia Post have met three times since the declaration of the ballot, with productive talks moving the parties closer together on agreement.  Recent discussions resulted in Australia Post moving on the issues of pay, arbitration, job security and penalty rate protection. 

As a result of the ballot and the additional talks, Australia Post has changed its pay offer to a 16 per cent deal, with $500 bonus.  The new pay deal provides an average annualised increase (factoring in bonus) of 5.3 per cent until December 2010.  The pay arrangements will run for 39 months, from September 2007 to December 2010. The overall proposed agreement will expire on 31 December 2010.

Read the full press release here.

If you have any comments or feedback, contact the CEPU or email us at eba7@cepu.asn.au

EBA7 – CEPU TELLS POST: “Enough’s enough”

Having received a clear signal from members through our EBA7 survey, the CEPU has today told Australia Post: enough is enough – it’s time to start listening.
             
The peak decision making body of the CEPU Communications Division – the Divisional Executive – today considered the outcome of the member survey.  Thank you to all members who took the time to complete the survey and give us such strong results.

After receiving a report on the EBA, the Divisional Executive agreed that it’s time Post got the talks back on track; that the outstanding issues in the EBA be fixed and that we get an agreement in place to fairly reward members.

There are only a few issues that need to be fixed – but they’re important issues:

• we need an EBA that has full arbitration-protection
• we need to tackle Australia Post’s approach to penalty rates
• we need our legal, job security clauses on franchising, contracting, dedicated delivery – cut by Post using a wrong interpretation of WorkChoices

We’re also calling on the Managing Director of Australia Post to block the awarding of any senior executive bonuses or pay rises until after EBA7 is voted on by members.

The CEPU is calling on Australia Post to meet – in an attempt to fix the remaining EBA7 issues.  We hope they will genuinely bargain. If Australia Post refuses to genuinely bargain or improve their offer, the Divisional Executive has given the green light to take the necessary steps to get authority for protected industrial action.

Read the full press release here.

Want to send your support to the CEPU for a better EBA7 deal?  Email us at eba7@cepu.asn.au