Postal
CEPU says time to re-open EBA talks
(17 November, 2008): The CEPU this week advised Australia Post that the current EBA7 offer was considered inadequate and that the CEPU Divisional Executive had authorised the commencement of consultation and all actions designed to progress the union’s claims for a new EBA.
In a letter to Australia Post the union expressed its disappointment that Australia Post took a particularly hard line on certain matters that are very important to members and that Post negotiators frustrated the agreement making process by taking very unrealistically broad and “technical” objections to certain topics.
The union reiterated its attempts to negotiate a common law agreement to protect conditions of service but that Australia Post had rejected this approach outright.
The union reminded Post that it had suggested another approach: to vary and extend EBA6 under new provisions contained in the Forward with Fairness amendments.
If an agreement is extended and varied, prohibited content, for example, can remain and even be added. This would have completely removed the broad “technical” problems relied on by Post negotiators to frustrate agreement on EBA7, but this was also rejected by Post.
The union noted that since last year management has failed to genuinely consult on a range of workplace change initiatives.
This lack of faith and commitment to follow established dispute resolution and consultation provisions within EBA6 has demonstrated to the CEPU and its members the inadequacy of the consultation and dispute resolution clauses within the proposed draft EBA7.
Additionally, the union identified the following issues that need to be addressed in any future enterprise bargaining agreement:
• The type of agreement, that is, extend and vary EBA6 or amend EBA7;
• Management of FDD issues
• “Prohibited” content issues and restrictions
• Contracting out (to the extent permitted)
• Injured Worker Policy
• Disciplinary Abuse
• Work Level Standards, and
• Staffing agreements.
And, lastly the union noted that since last year, cost of living pressures have increased on its members and this must be addressed as part of a new EBA wage offer.
Notwithstanding Australia Post’s previous advice that it will not negotiate any changes to the draft EBA7 document, the union again called on Post management to enter into meaningful negotiations.
Australia Post has advised that a detailed response to our letter will be due in the near future.
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