Telecommunications
CEPU industrial action hits states
(1 March 2010) Despite attempts by Telstra to frustrate their campaign, CEPU members have stepped up protected industrial activity over the last two weeks. From Hobart to Kunnamurra across three time zones members have taken action.
On 15 February, WA Network Construction members walked off the job in the first of a series of rolling strikes which have targeted key Telstra projects in the state. The action is designed to stop all mobile, wideband (optic fibre) and data expansion projects and to halt Telstra’s own migration to an ethernet platform across the state of Western Australia.
On 18 February leaflets explaining members’ claims and calling for a fair EA were distributed to employees attending Telstra CEO David Thodey’s business briefing in Melbourne.
Telstra’s predictable response has been to challenge the legality of the action. But the technical issues that Telstra was relying on to stop the strike were resolved through Fair Work Australia and a new round of stoppages began on 24 February.
This action in ongoing and is being supported by members in other states who will be undertaking stoppages in their respective areas as part of the national campaign. Friday 26 February saw a big rally of striking Network Construction members outside the Parramatta headquarters of Network Construction.
For more information, contact the CEPU via feedback@cepu.asn.au