WELCOME BACK

This is a significant year for our Union. We have an EBA to negotiate with Telstra and a ballot soon to endorse industrial actions. We may also face more redundancies. We have a Postal EBA to prepare for next year. We have a state and federal election. We also have union elections. The last 4 years has seen various scandals in our national office and the NSW P&T Branch. One legal report found them "dysfunctional" and added that the Division cannot continue to operate on this basis. We have also changed our Branch. We are focussed on communications eg introduction of weekly bulletins It will be a big year.

VIP RE EBA YOUR VOTE

It is critical that you update your address details if it has changed. If your address does not match the Telstra records, then you may not get a ballot paper. Advise us asap on reception@cwunion.net or on 02 9281 2811.

TELSTRA INDUSTRIAL ACTION BALLOT

The Ballot to endorse industrial action opens on Monday 21 January 2019. It is a postal ballot and we urge you to vote YES to all types of actions. The ballot papers must be returned by Monday 25 February 2019. The ballot is conducted by the Australian Electoral Commission.

CHRISTMAS SHUT-DOWN

We have written to Telstra about the misleading material put out by Telstra re a shut-down at Xmas. If you were pressured to take leave, contact us and we will seek recovery of your leave.

CHRISTMAS SHUT-DOWN LETTER TO TELSTRA

Our letter stated in part:

". we write with some concern about misleading information being placed in front of line managers relating to so-called "shut down" of various Telstra areas. We are now aware of a "AskHR" so-called "guidance"... The published intranet guidance indicates that "most employees are expected to take Annual Leave from 24 Dec 2018, returning to work 7 Jan 2017".

EBA clause 30.2 clearly has no reference to this "expectation", and at best this statement is misleading. It clearly puts staff under pressure to take leave during this period. There is clearly no ability to do this unless the 2 tests of direction (cl 30.2 (b)) are achieved. Not surprisingly, it would appear that some managers are taking liberties with the words of the EBA, following the Ask HR "guidance" provided; we therefore request this "guidance" be substantially modified to properly reflect the requirements of the EBA, relating to clause 30.2.

FAREWELL TO ALEX JANSEN

On 8 Dec, the NSW T&S Branch held a lunch to honour Alex Jansen. Alex retired several months earlier after nearly 12 years as the Branch Secretary. The guests included former Secretary Colin Cooper and the former Victorian Secretaries Len Cooper and John Ellery. More and Photos.

Authorised by Dan Dwyer Branch Secretary
CWU Telecommunications & Services Branch, Leichhardt, NSW.