Telstra snubs workers and IRC
September 2, 2008
The contempt shown by Telstra management to its workforce was on full display yesterday when the company failed to turn up for a mediation hearing in the Australian Industrial Relations Commission.
The snub towards workers was bad enough, but not unexpected. But by refusing to even send along one person to the hearing, management showed it has no respect for the institution of an independent industrial umpire.
The meeting before Senior Deputy President Lacy was in response to last week’s application by the ACTU and the Telstra unions for the commission to use its dispute resolution powers to bring the company back to the negotiating table. Specifically, the unions requested the commission conduct a ballot of the 10,000-plus workers covered by the enterprise agreement about whether they would prefer a union negotiated agreement or a non-union one.
Under Division 4, Part 13 of the Workplace Relations Act 1996, the commission can arrange a conference of the parties. But it cannot compel a person to do anything. In other words, the commission can call a meeting, but it cannot force a party to sit at the table.
Telstra management, in its usual arrogant way, has stuck to letter of the law to refuse to participate in mediation. Remember the way it rammed through some 15,000 Australian Workplace Agreements shortly before they were banned?
Lawful, yes - but is this what would be described as acting in good faith?
Seeing as Telstra wasn’t there to explain itself during the two hour meeting, we can only conclude that by its point blank refusal to contemplate a ballot, management is afraid of what the result would tell it: the vast majority of workers don’t trust HR and want to be represented by a union.
The company’s human resources managers have been obstinate at every step as unions have attempted to re-open genuine negotiations.
This belligerent attitude is increasingly out of step with the times.
The commission has given Telstra until Friday to respond to a transcript of the two hour meeting
It’s clear to us that Telstra hasn’t been bargaining in good faith but we’re encouraged by Deputy Prime Minister Julia Gillard’s commitment over the weekend [on Meet the Press] that a pivotal point of the new legislation will be an obligation to deal in good faith.
“If you want good workplace relations, if you want to resolve disputes, then good-faith talking is the way that it happens,” she said.
Telstra’s stubborn use of Work Choices is doing the company no favours. Shortly, new legislation will be introduced into Parliament to stop big employers like Telstra trampling over workers’ rights. A new umpire, Fair Work Australia, will have powers to enforce good faith bargaining. Barring an obstructive Senate, this will quickly become law.
It’s time for Telstra to ditch the failed policies of the past and embrace the new era.
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9 Responses to “Telstra snubs workers and IRC”
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Telstra’s HR say they will protect my conditions with their new non-union EA. Curiously they always qualify “conditions” with “those that are valued by our employees”. This employee values ALL the conditions that have been negotiated on my behalf in the current EA.
What has been Telstra’s track record protecting my working conditions?
In 2007 they made successful submissions to a Senate enquiry to reduce my workers’ compensation coverage.
Yet when the Telstra Redundancy Agreement was due to expire under Howard’s old workplace laws, Telstra did not see fit to lobby the government. It was left to the unions to protect my conditions and get the law changed.
If Telstra’s non-union , non-negotiated EA is accepted by employees, unions will be effectively neutralised in our workplaces. It will be too late to go back to the protections we currently enjoy. Don’t drink the Telstra Kool-Aid.
Some of our teams have already been briefed in their “agreements” we’ve had no notice of these meetings. They are trying to sping them on us.
Also this email went straight into JUNK mail - not sure if this is deliberate or not, but just be aware.\
It was typical yesterday that when they failed to appear. We had a team brief on the supposed ECA. What contempt. The brief had bits missing out of it. Most wanted the union to rep them and voiced the matter and our questions were taken down. What next, The dogs???
Interesting comment on the Conditions valued by employees. I asked the HR rep in our meeting what conditions I didn’t value and got the reponse that I would have to read the agreement. So I asked again what conditions had been removed and got the same reponse. Later my manager told me that NO conditions had been removed (ha)
I also tried to have to ‘up to 20% in payrise’ clarified, asking if it was a bonus payment or a bonus payrise. When I pointed out that the max amount more that I could earn would be 15% more they said they would change the slide so would be interested if anyone has seen the 20% slide since 28/08. My manager later asked me why I couldn’t understand how they got to 20%. I do understand how but it is at the least misleading to have it there, probably deliberatly deceptive.
Our meeting was the same as Pauls when asked what we would like to see in the agreement nearly the whole responded with the Union invloved.
Typical Telstra Nazi like behaviour.
We need to band together, and fight for our rights.
Less talking more actions.
Certain smiling assasins in my work location 2/90 Collins st, relish at taking away any advantage we can have.
They will not even pay higher duties claiming that it advancing our job prospects. Management at 2/90 Collins st Melb need to be looked into.
Sol and the rest of his mates have lawyers find tooth his agreement and what do we get…..
I pay the the Union to do a job and I’d like them to be able to do it.
The new ECA provides employees with a minimum of 12.5% pay rise over three years. This is still below the current and forecast CPI so we ae going backwards. To attain a 20% pay rise over this period you will need to obtain the maximum performance rating of ‘EE’ - exceptional. As the name suggests this rating will be very exceptional. Last year in my Business Unit there were less than five EEs and Sol wants any bonus payments reduced as ‘we are all expected to perform above expections’ So there will be no pay rise for 99% of staff other than the ECA and once Telstra chops out the unions there will be no more pay rises unless we give away all of our hard fought conditions.
We need our independant union invlovement now more than ever or we will all be fleeced
Geoff,
You can’t attain a 20% pay rise. There is 7.5% in “bonus” payments which do not form part of your salary. An example.
Take an employee on $50,000 a year. A 20% increase over three years should make it possible to earn $60,000 in the third year.
Year 1 - 4.5% increase: $52,250 + 2.5% bonus $1,250
Year 2 - 4% increase: $54,340 + 2.5% bonus $1,306.25
Year 3 - 4% increase: $56,513.60 + 2.5% bonus $1358.50 = $57,872.10
Dont be fooled by the deceptive “advertising” by management - it’s less than 16% over three years at best. Bonuses don’t count towards your next years salary.
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