VIP - CONTACTING US - NEW PHONE NUMBER
0428 942 878 dan.dwyer@cwunion.net Dan Dwyer Secretary/Lawyer - for industrial advice, etc
02 9281 2811 reception@cwunion.net for administrative matters (payments, applications etc
NOTE: I am on leave for 3 weeks and Lee Walkington Branch Assistant Secretary will handle all inquiries. Lee can be contacted on Lee Walkington Lee.Walkington@cwunion.net.

TELSTRA - VOTE NOW
A last reminder - your ballot paper must be received by the AEC by next Monday.

OPTUS SATELLITE CONTROLLERS
We have met with a number of members on Sunday re the classification of TT&C staff. A further meeting is planned shortly to determine our position. We are aware of a possible proposal to retrain and merge staff with Broadcast. This has not been considered at this stage as it is not a proposal from Optus as yet. If it is proposed, it would necessarily involve Broadcast members and joint meetings. Notwithstanding, I will (in any case) arrange a meeting with Broadcast members shortly.

POST SPF ROSTERS
Following further discussions with Post we have an interim agreement pending a meeting in mid March where guidelines will be discussed. For the moment, if you wish to swap a shift, then email the DTM with the details of the swap. A common sense approach will be applied. Note our guidelines re suitable skills when swapping.

DIRTY EXCHANGES - TELSTRA WANT STAFF TO MONITOR
Telstra appear to have a strategy of letting exchanges deteriorate until they get a complaint. We can only advise members to report dirty exchanges and not enter until cleaned. Keep a diary note and advise us. We will compile the complaints to build a test case. The Telstra email stated: As previously advised, there is a regular cleaning schedule for our sites. However, if employees believe that a site requires cleaning at any stage, they are able to log the task through the facilities portal (https://telstra.unily.com/sites/power-and-facilities). Should an employee believe that a site presents a risk to their health and safety, they should follow the established procedure in their work area to have this addressed appropriately. Employees should consult their 1-up manager if they are unsure of what to do.

TELSTRA SERVICE - KATTER ATTACK
MP Bob Katter has attacked the CEO over the Julia Creek Hospital. The landline was out for over a week! He said:
I have utter contempt for the privatisation of Telstra and its ineffective systems which has seen the flood isolated hospital in Julia Creek without a landline phone since 6pm Tuesday 29 January. This lack of communication is life threatening. The Julia Creek hospital has been waiting over a week for this service to be restored. Telstra sent out additional mobile handsets - but these could not get to Julia Creek due to the flooding. For the past week the hospital's only means of communication has been a single 3G handset. After initially advising that Telstra would travel to Julia Creek after the floods subside (which could be another week) a phone call today from myself will see Telstra travelling to Julia Creek by chopper to resolve the issue.
Before the Government privatised Telstra we had 4 Telstra workers in Julia Creek, we had nearly 20 in Cloncurry and a dozen in Hughenden. Since privatisation, I doubt we would have half a dozen in the Mid-West and Gulf now. At the time of privatisation the then Prime Minister assured us we would have USO and they have tried to get rid of that too (the Productivity Commission's 2017 review of USOs). We suspect many have died as a result of lack of service and privatisation.
20,000 workers made redundant, jobs abolished and workers are being brought in from overseas with call centres off shore. It has been an absolute disaster. This is no way a criticism of the workers on the ground who are doing their absolute best, but a criticism of the corporate structure and systems in Telstra since privatisation.

CONTRACTOR REDUNDANCIES
There have been recent media reports that some 12,000 contractors will be "laid off". The contractors are said to number about 40,000 workers. The media also reports that Telstra is reconsidering its commission and bonus payments to staff. Our Vic Branch asks the questions:
Didn't it work out for you Telstra? Did it take a Royal Commission into financial services to realise that multiple remuneration systems - some of which are linked to performance and customer feedback don't work? Every worker deserves a pay rise equally. Profit results are down, share price has never recovered since T1 let alone T2 or T3, and the workforce is shrinking dramatically. The economy survives when people are in work and spending. Cost of living is rising and pay rises are going down. It's time for a major re-think of how Telstra employs staff. Committed, permanent, on-shore staff are the only way to get this icon company back on top.

VIP - CONTACTING US - NEW PHONE NUMBER
Please note the following changes as we simplify our phone numbers
0428 942 878 dan.dwyer@cwunion.net Dan Dwyer Secretary/Lawyer - for industrial matters & advice
02 9281 2811 reception@cwunion.net Administrative eg payments, applications, change of details

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