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CEPU ballot result. 6163 returns, 5097 yes, 1066 no, 83% yes. Telstra Ballot closes 26 Aug. RETURN YES NO RETURN YES NO NSW P&T 980 815 165 NSW T&S 1138 1011 127 VIC P&T 511 327 184 VIC T&S 1049 868 181 QLD P&T 473 293 180 QLD T&S 523 509 14 SA P&T 267 218 49 SA T&S 402 365 37 WA P&T 278 201 77 WA T&S 345 308 37 TAS P&T 106 94 12 TAS T&S 91 88 3 18-07-05 TELSTRA EBA - CEPU BALLOT A CEPU "Consultative Survey" of Telstra members will be conducted by all Branches from 1 Aug to 12 Aug. The question to be put to members is: 'I support the CEPU Communications Divisional Executive decision to enter into the Telstra Enterprise Agreement 2005-2008. Yes/No". Prior to the CEPU and Telstra ballot we will hold meetings with members to explain the proposed new EBA. Watch for local notices as meetings are underway. 18-07-05 TELSTRA EBA - TELSTRA BALLOT
In accordance with the Workplace Relations Act, Telstra will conduct a Ballot of all Telstra employees who are affected by the EBA, i.e. all Telstra 'Award based' staff and the Telstra Ballot will not include employees on individual contracts or AWAs. The timetable of the Ballot:
18-07-05 TELSTRA EBA - CERTIFICATION The proposed Agreement is for 3 years and provides for 3 wage increases of 2.5% each. The first is made on certification and the others after each 12 months. The basic employment conditions are the same as the current Agreement. The date of the first pay increase will depend on the result of the Telstra employee's Ballot and the time the Agreement is certified by the AIRC. If the Agreement is certified shortly after the Ballot is completed, the first pay increase would be dated from pay day 7 Sept with the first payment being received on pay day 22 Sept 2005. 18-07-05 TELSTRA EBA - SUPERANNUATION Pre-tax superannuation is covered in Clause 22 of the proposed EBA and reflects the current Agreement. Other issues regarding CSS and TSS superannuation have traditionally not been covered by the EBA, but are the subject of separate discussions with Telstra. In relation to the CSS, Telstra have now informed 'Award employees' that they can now 'preserve' their CSS benefit and become a contributor to a TSS accumulation fund. Any information on this matter should be provided by Telstra at the request from the CSS employee. Issues relating to the CSS with privatisation of Telstra are still being pursued. We have been working to establish meetings of members to allow explanation and discussion of the proposed EBA prior to the ballot. We will publish dates and venues as soon as they are confirmed. We are now preparing for the explanation phase of the new EBA. Briefings will be conducted either by telephone or face to face meetings. These will begin as soon as the agreement is printed and distributed. A ballot will take place, beginning about 4th August and concluding about 26 August. These are estimates only at this stage, and if the ballot supports the EBA, it will go to the AIRC for certification a few days later. 20-06-05 TELSTRA EBA 2005 - DRAFT RELEASED During last week, a final document was presented to us. It is a 3 year agreement, with a 2.5% pay rise each year. No adjustment to allowances. There is one agreement covering all employees of Telstra, except country wide, where Telstra assure us there are no employees. There were no changes to conditions in substance, but minor wording changes. The ideological approach of the Cartwright era has been abandoned eg the agreement moves away from words like "You and your supervisor may..." to a professional approach like "A full time employee's ordinary hours...". The agreement will now be printed, distributed, discussed, put to a ballot and if accepted, certified in the AIRC. Dates later. Yesterday, the Communications Division of our Union took a decision to allow CEPU to be a party to a Telstra EBA Agreement giving members a 2.5% pay rise, with no loss of existing conditions. The other unions have also agreed. Our NSW Branch opposed the decision. Surprisingly, some Victorian Branch Secretaries spoke in support of the EBA after media pronouncements thay indicated that they would fight it. We will be preparing more detailed reports.
Another week and another 2 meetings with Telstra. No change in the positions. Our CEPU Executive, comprising representatives from all states, will consider the Telstra position and membership responses at an Executive meeting this coming Wed, Thu and Fri. Media speculation, and comments from some (involved in the current election), that CEPU will have a strike is just humbug. The matter has not been even considered as yet. Yes there are many not happy with the offer, and a strike is but one option to protect our conditions. There are other options. Should the Executive reject the current offer, further consultations with members are necessary before strike action is considered. Watch our home page for updates.
This is a short note to update the situation. We are consulting members at meetings across the state to gauge reaction to the position put by the negotiating committee. There will be a meeting with Telstra next week. The CEPU position will not be considered until the Executive meets in Melbourne on 15-16-17 June. We will update this page by next Friday at latest unless more news is available.
25-05-05 FINAL PHASE OF NEGOTIATIONS
This report from CEPU negotiators: Negotiations between Telstra and the Single Bargaining Unit of unions are now in the final phase. More meetings are planned over the coming weeks to develop new documentation. Full details of the proposed changes to the existing EBAs will be available to members when the parties have reached agreement on draft new agreement to be put to members. In the interim all unions will be discussing the draft proposals with members to ascertain the union's final position in negotiations. In broad terms, it is presently proposed that there will be minimal change to the current EBA. Conditions under threat from privatisation, will be protected by their incorporation into the EBA(s) and modest increases will be paid annually during a two or three year agreement. The following table gives more detail of the position of the parties during the negotiation process so far. The table is not intended to include all of the myriad of issues discussed during the eighteen (18) meetings so far but it does include the major matters.
Summary Negotiations are continuing and will not be finalised until all matters are agreed. At this stage it appears that the Single Bargaining Unit has been successful in negotiating valuable changes to the EBA. The new EBA(s) are proposed to incorporate conditions of service under threat upon full privatisation. The proposed three year term provides stability for conditions during privatisation and also during the changes to industrial legislation about to be introduced by the Howard Liberal Government.. The proposed increases of 2.5% while at the low end of expectations, should be considered in the context that there has been no loss of conditions. The overall proposed outcome is consistent with the results obtained from CEPU member surveys conducted prior to negotiations which clearly indicated that retention of conditions was considered to be of higher priority than significant salary increases. All of the conditions which were under attack, would be placed back on the bargaining table by Telstra if this proposal was rejected. A major dispute requiring lengthy industrial action from affected members would be required to change Telstra's position. Where to from here? Telstra have consistently indicated during negotiations that they will only increase the salary offer if the unions agree to trade off conditions. Telstra's position means there are three options to consider.
Survey Form A CEPU survey form is attached to this bulletin. Please fill it in to assist CEPU officials in representing your views at future EBA negotiations. Should you require further information, please contact Branch Assistant Secretary Laurie Chalker or Officials Lyle Brittain, Steve Dodd or Shane Murphy on (02) 9893 7822.
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