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2. Parties Bound and Application 3. Operation of the Agreement 4. Duration 5. Closed Agreement 6. Consultative Arrangements 7. Dispute Avoidance/Resolution Procedure 8. Award Simplification 8.1 Introduction 8.2 Core Award 9. Classifications and Grading 9.1 Introduction 9.2 Simplified/Rationalised Job Classifications 9.3 Customer Service Workforce 10. Leave 10.1 Annual Leave 10.2 Attendance 11. Hours of Work and Related Arrangements 11.1 Ordinary Hours of Work 11.2 Rest/Meal Breaks 11.3 Overtime 11.4 Payment for Saturday Work 11.5 Rest Relief 11.6 Time Off in Lieu 11.7 Overtime Meal Allowance 11.8 Variation to Flextime in Customer Call/Service Centres 12. Shift Work 13. Allowances (i) Asbestos Allowance (ii) Restriction Allowance (iii) Height Allowance (iv) Linguistic Allowance (v) Camping 14. Restrictions on Efficient and Flexible Work Practices 15.1 Salary Increase 15.2 Conditional Cash Payment 16. Exclusions TELSTRA CORPORATION 1997/98 ENTERPRISE AGREEMENT(Draft - Tabled - 2 October 1997) 1. Title
This Agreement will be known as the Telstra Corporation 1997/98
Enterprise Agreement.
2.1 This Agreement is binding on Telstra Corporation Limited (ACN 051 775 556), (the "Company"), the unions referred to in clause 2.2 and all employees who are employed by the Company in the classifications specified in the awards listed in Attachment 1A.
2.2 The unions party to this Agreement are:
Communications, Electrical, Electronic, Energy, Information,
Postal, Plumbing and Allied Services Union of Australia (CEPU);
Community and Public Sector Union (CPSU);
Association of Professional Engineers, Scientists and Managers,
Australia (APESMA);
Automotive, Food, Metals, Engineering, Printing and Kindred
Industries Union (AFMEPKIU).
3.1 This Agreement replaces and wholly supersedes the Telstra Corporation 1995/97 Enterprise Agreement and all of its predecessor Enterprise Agreements. 3.2 Subject to relevant legislative provisions, this Agreement overrides the operation of any award or agreement binding on the Company to the extent of any inconsistency. 3.3 The Company may enter into an Australian Workplace Agreement (AWA) with any employee covered by this Agreement. The AWA may operate to the exclusion of this Agreement or prevail over its terms to the extent of any inconsistency.
3.4 An agreement certified subsequent to, but during the period of
operation of this Agreement, may override this Agreement (in whole
or in part). Accordingly, this Agreement permits such a
subsequent agreement to apply without exclusion over any of the
matters already addressed in this Agreement.
The nominal expiry date of this Agreement is 12 months following
the date of certification.
For the life of this Agreement, the parties agree that there will
not be any further claims made for increases in wages (whether
related to National Wage Case decisions or not) or other
conditions of employment relevant to employees covered by this
Agreement.
6.1 This Agreement recognises the importance of consultation between Company management, employees and unions in the implementation of the Company's business priorities. Significant improvements in Telstra's operations - particularly in the provision of efficient customer service through streamlined work processes, systems and growth in volumes resulting in unit cost reductions - must be achieved in the life of this Agreement. 6.2 Where the Company proposes to introduce significant business initiatives or major changes which have a demonstrable impact on employees, the Company will consult with the employees who may be affected by the proposed changes and their union as early as practicable. A demonstrable impact on employees will arise in circumstances including major changes in technology or the composition, operation or size of the Company's workforce or in the skills required, the elimination or diminution of job opportunities. 6.3 The Company will consult with the employees affected and their union on the introduction of the changes referred to in clause 6.2, the effect the changes are likely to have on employees, and where possible the measures to avert or mitigate the adverse effects of such changes on employees, and will give consideration to matters raised by the employees and/or the unions in relation to the changes.
6.4 Where consultative committees operate within the Company and
they continue to have ongoing support from both management and
unions, such committees can be forums for consultation on a wider
range of matters than those mentioned in clause 6.2 (e.g. business
plans). Additional consultative committees may be established by
agreement between the parties. Consultative committees are not
decision-making bodies.
7.1 The parties are committed to avoiding industrial disputation. 7.2 The Company aims to provide a productive, rewarding, safe and non-discriminatory work environment for its employees. This environment should be characterised by co-operation, mutual respect and open communication between employees and managers. 7.3 Where employees experience work-related problems, in the first instance the matter may be raised with their immediate supervisor who will attempt to resolve the problem within a reasonable time, i.e. within two (2) working days. The Company acknowledges the right of employees who are union members to raise the matter with their union's representative who may become involved in the discussion at any stage of the process. 7.4 If the matter cannot be resolved with the employees' supervisor, it may be taken to the supervisor's manager who will seek resolution within two (2) working days, failing which the assistance of a more senior manager may be sought. 7.5 If the matter has not been progressed to the satisfaction of the parties within six (6) working days from the time it was first raised with the supervisor, it may be referred to the head of the Business Unit and the General Manager-Employee Relations of the particular Business Unit (or to the Director-Industrial Relations for matters impacting the wider Company) and principals of the union for resolution within five (5) working days. 7.6 If the matter still remains unresolved, the parties may refer it to an agreed mediator which may be the Australian Industrial Relations Commission ("the Commission"). The role of the mediator is limited to providing assistance to the parties in an attempt to address and, if possible, resolve the matter in dispute by mediation/conciliation as quickly as possible. The mediation process may, however, be extended by the consent of the parties involved in the dispute. 7.7 The parties agree that the Director of Industrial Relations and the relevant union officials may agree to waive these time limits in whatever manner is necessary to aid dispute resolution. However, the importance of the nominated management and union officials accepting responsibility for the issues within the agreed timeframes is also acknowledged by the parties.
7.8 Nothing in these procedures will:
(a) prevent any party from exercising its rights under the
Workplace Relations Act 1996 (the "Act")notifying a matter to the
AIRC and seeking a hearing as soon as possible;
(b) prejudice the position of a party in a genuine health and
safety situation.
8.1 Introduction 8.1.1 Telstra is currently bound by a number of different awards. This has resulted in unnecessary duplication and inconsistencies in terms and conditions of employment applying throughout the Company. 8.1.2 The previous (1995/97) enterprise agreement reflected the legislative requirement for parties to review awards. This requirement has been given added impetus with introduction of the Workplace Relations Act 1996. An important change introduced by the WR Act is that awards must be "stripped back" so that they only deal with "allowable award matters". The parties to awards are obliged to attempt to reach agreement on the "stripping back" exercise if arbitration is to be avoided. 8.1.3 The parties agree to pursue a "core award" objective (as outlined in clause 8.2) as the means by which the award simplification and stripping back exercises envisaged by the WR Act will be addressed by the parties prior to 31 March 1998. 8.2 Core Award 8.2.1 The parties have commenced the process of reviewing the Company's existing award structure with a view to the creation of one "core award" to be known as the Telstra Corporation Limited Award 1997. In the time available prior to the certification of this Agreement, the review process was not completed.
8.2.2 The core award will, amongst other things: 8.2.3 As part of the negotiation for this Agreement, the parties agreed that changes concerning dispute avoidance/resolution (clause 7), classifications and grading (clause 9), leave (clause 10), hours of work and related arrangements (clause 11), shift work (clause 12) and allowances (clause 13) will form part of the core award in the manner envisaged by clauses 8.2.4 and clause 9.
8.2.4 To assist in the finalisation and making of the core award
and the achievement of the objectives set out in clause 8.2.2, the
parties agree:
8.3 The unions party to this Agreement will co-operate with the
Company to meet the objectives outlined in this Agreement and will
not allow demarcation boundaries to hinderagree that they may
retain existing coverage and will not seek to extend this or
demarcation boundaries following certification of this Agreement
or the transition to the core award.
9.1 Introduction
9.1.1 As part of the negotiations for this Agreement, the parties
agree to: 9.1.2 The single job evaluation system (Hay System) will operate from the date of certification of this Agreement. Negotiations concerning the simplification and rationalisation of job classifications (with the exception of the Customer Service Workforce stream) will be completed in accordance with the principles contained in clause 9.2 prior to the nominal expiry date of this Agreement.
9.1.3 The parties recognise that the matters referred to in clause
9 will involve changes to existing arrangements. Consequently, it
is agreed that the parties will: 9.2 Simplified/Rationalised Job Classifications 9.2.1 Existing job classifications will be arranged into work streams which will encourage more flexible deployment and use of the Company's employees to meet the needs of customers. The first work stream will be the Customer Service Workforce and this work stream will operate prior to 31 March 1998. 9.2.2 The development of the other workstreams will follow the same principles applied during the development and implementation of the Customer Service Workforce. The further workstreams under consideration by the Company are: Infrastructure; Customer Contact; Systems and Customer Solutions; Marketing; Sales; Operational Support; and Corporate. 9.2.3 Jobs within the workstreams will be graded using the Hay System and will be arranged into bands. The number of bands in each work stream will be determined by the grading system. 9.2.4 There will be no mandatory qualifications for any band. Where a job requires employees to be licensed or to possess relevant permits or formal qualifications, those requirements will be specified in individual job descriptions. 9.3 Customer Service Workforce 9.3.1 This work stream covers the group of employees employed in all work associated with the design and construction of the Customer Service Network, and the End to End Repair, Maintenance and Installation of all customer services. 9.3.2. The bands of work will cover the range of existing classifications from Team Leaders and Specialists to entry level employees. 9.3.3 Competency standards and relevant training for each band in this work stream will be consistent with the Telecommunications Industry Competency Standards and the Telecommunications Industry Training Package and may be amended from time to time. 9.3.4 All appropriate training, both formal and by way of on the job experience will be provided and monitored through the Company's Performance Review and Development Process (PRDP). 9.3.5 All employees covered by the Customer Service Workforce will be translated into an appropriate work stream band.
9.3.6 The parties agree that immediately from the certification of this
Agreement all employees within the scope of the Customer Service
Workforce must work as directed by their Manager/Supervisor,
provided that such employees possess the skills and abilities to
perform the work. Upon translaaltion to the new structure, all
employees' ordinary time salaries will be maintained at least at
their existing level.
10.1 Annual Leave
10.2 Attendance 10.2.2 The parties agree to take all steps necessary to implement an agreed "attendance action plan" before 1 January 1998. In the absence of agreement on the content of an action plan, the parties agree that any party's proposals for variation of existing award provisions concerning leave or attendance matters will be referred to the CommissionAIRC for arbitration before 1 April 1998 (or such earlier time as agreed) in the manner contemplated by clause 8.2.4 of this Agreement (subject to the matter being "allowable" for the purposes of s.89A of the Act). Personal Carer's Leave [To be finalised after consultation with Brian Douglas] |
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