Telecommunications
EBA IN TELSTRA: WHAT'S ON OFFER SO FAR AND WHAT'S NOT?
(1 February 2010) The talks with Telstra for a new EBA have obviously stalled at this stage. If we were to sign up now, what would be on offer for employees to consider in a vote for or against? The following represents a brief summary of the situation:
1. All current conditions of employment would be retained.
2. The current redundancy agreement provisions are basically retained with some improvements.
- e.g greater emphasis on swaps and volunteers before forced redundancy.
- fairer processes for selection within a group
- two weeks extra pay out if selected from within a group
- access to arbitration in the event of a dispute over redundancy processes.
However, to achieve these gains in the redundancy clauses, we had to agree to reduce the length of time between being notified of redundancy and when a person leaves the company by 2 weeks, and to end Telstra's job search programme.
3. Clauses would be included which provide employees some limited leverage over unfair performance management, and performance pay decisions and actions by management.
- e.g quarterly formal consultation
- access to arbitration
4. Salary packaging arrangements. (Leased vehicles, home comms costs etc, would be included.)
5. A compromise on Telstra's Part A/Part B model.
- e.g. essentially new starters for the CFW and TW work streams, would be employed on the negotiated and agreed EBA pay and classification system.
- all current EBA employees anywhere in the business would remain on the EBA pay and classification system.
- new starters in the remaining parts of the business would be employed on Telstra’s non-negotiated banding and remuneration system.
6. Capacity to purchase extra annual leave.
7. A 10% increase in essential customer servicing allowance payments.
8. Agreement to enable all ECA based employees to be part of the next EBA bargaining with all ECAs ceasing on their expiry date.
9. Pay increases of 2%+4%+4% over 3 years plus a 2.5% "sign on" allowance as a supposed recognition of no salary increases for EBA employees for the previous 12 months. The "sign on" allowance is a one off payment and does not count as salary.
10. So called "last gasp" arbitration available on all issues contained in the EBA.
LATER DEVELOPMENTS
Without agreement with the union, Telstra has paid the first increase in their offer of 2% and the "sign on" allowance of 2.5%
WHAT IS THE MAIN ISSUE NOT ON OFFER?
Telstra has not been prepared to pay the EBA employees at least the same pay increases as ECA based employees, nor have they been prepared to back pay, so far, despite all of our efforts.
The above are all issues that members have to evaluate.
For further information, contact the CEPU via feedback@cepu.asn.au