HILLS TRAVEL ALLOWANCE ADVANCES
We have written to Hills as follows (extracts):

I am writing on behalf of our members who work in the field and who are required to travel and incur travel costs.
In the past Hills Limited (Hills) provided them with a credit card to be used for these travel costs. These were withdrawn and members had to pay the costs themselves, and then seek reimbursement. We do not agree that this practice id correct.
Best practice used by many employers is to pay a cash advance to staff to ensure that they have sufficient funds and to ensure that they are not out of packet.
As you know, these Hills employees have now had significant pay cuts. This has put very significant financial strain on members, and some members have withdrawn their alleged consent. We note your response that members are stuck with the pay cuts and that Hills will not consider withdrawal of consent.
In these circumstances, we seek that Hills either
(a) Provide for cash advances to staff who need to travel; or
(b) Provide credit cards to staff who are required to travel.

OPTUS REQUEST TO TAKE LEAVE
Last week we reported that Optus was seeking that staff take annual leave. Optus responded to our letter confirming that it is a request. We thank them for their clear agreement that it is a request.

This email follows your email to me on 8 May and your subsequent written communications on your website about the related matters on 10 May 2020. As we expect that you will continue to publish our emails on your website, I encourage you to publish to your members the below:
We are in agreement that the correspondence issued by the VP HR to Optus people is not a direction under the Act or Agreement. Optus is encouraging our employees to have an annual leave plan that reflects the need to take time out for their health and wellbeing which will also helps maintain the health of our organisation. For these reasons, it is quite frankly irresponsible for the Union to advise employees to "do nothing" with respect to their annual leave entitlements.
There is no coercion or attempt to mislead employees in relation to their entitlements. If there are concerns regarding coercion specifically directed to any of your members, please advise them to direct their concerns through our normal channels including HR Assist if they are unable to resolve it directly with each of their leaders.
Your statements about Optus' eligibility for Job Keeper are simply untrue. If you have evidence to the contrary, we would welcome you to share information with us about our own financial circumstances. Please share with Optus and employees on what basis you have formed the view, and in turn communicated that view publicly, that Optus is eligible to apply for Job Keeper.

POST SPF SURVEY - MEMBERS REJECT PLAN A
Thank you for responding to our survey. We received 21 replies from a maximum of 28. All 21 voted for the old system. No support for Plan A was received.

POST SPF - PLAN B TABLED
Post has issued a variation to its overtime scheme. It is still based on offers, not overtime actually worked. And no one will be called at home. Here is the detail. Your comments urgently needed. Post said:

I refer to the conciliation conference at FWC where the parties agreed to set up a Local Working Group (LWG) to discuss the concerns and queries with the current overtime offer arrangements for Technicians at Sydney Parcel Facility.
The LWG which consisted of employee representatives from each of the four shifts have had three meetings where they were able to review and discuss any concerns with the current guidelines.
Further to the suggestions put forward at these meetings, we have amended the guidelines to removing overtime offers being recorded against employees on leave as well as simplifying this document.
Attached for your information are the amended guidelines resulting from the LWG discussions that we intend to implement moving forward when offering overtime for Technicians at SPF.

POST SPF - PLAN B - 13 MAY
SPF/SGF technical group overtime guidelines - Last revised on 12/05/2020 General information:
+ Overtime offers will be based on the offer tally.
+ Offer will be made to the person with the lowest offer tally from the relevant team
+ Offer tally to include all types of overtime offers made
+ Each Team will have their own overtime offer tally
+ Team leaders are responsible for maintaining and updating the offer list daily
+ Staff are responsible for checking their tally and raising any discrepancies with their team leader immediately
+ Updated offers list for all four teams are to be displayed on notice board weekly and kept on the shared drive
+ Overtime offers will be made to staff present at work
+ Overtime offer will be made to staff at the facility first where the overtime is required
+ Individual capability/capacity to perform the technical function will be part of the decision on overtime offer
+ Overtime offers due to unscheduled absence will be made once the requirement is assessed
+ Effort will be made a day in advance to offer overtime for planned absences
+ Where practical efforts will be made to provide at least one hour notice for offers of overtime

An offer of overtime constitutes 2 hours
1 offer = 2hours overtime
2 offers = 4 hours overtime
3 offers = 6 hours overtime
4 offers = 8 hours overtime
4 offers = Sunday overtime

Example:
+ Sunday Offers (Temporary till End of June 2020)
+ Sunday offers as indicated in the Roster.
+ If not taken up before the day, offer will be made to the next person with the lowest offer tally from the two relevant teams
+ If the rostered staff fails to show up for Sunday OT, it will be managed same as an unscheduled absence situation
+ Where possible, Sunday OT offer will be aligned to the facility where the staff is rostered Monday to Friday

Saturday Overtime offers:
+ Saturday offers will be made to maintenance team and Day shift team first, based on their respective offer tally

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ACTU PETITION TO KEEP YOU SAFE
As the government begins to relax isolation measures, millions of workers will return to workplaces, joining those who've worked throughout this crisis. But before that happens, we need guarantees that every workplace is safe.
To protect our safety and ensure there's not a second wave of infections, Scott Morrison must introduce:
+ Paid pandemic leave for all workers. So workers who believe they may have the illness can get tested and if necessary, take additional time to recover.
+ Stronger workplace safety rules. Including a legal obligation on employers to practice things like social distancing, to keep workers and customers safe.
+ Alerts for local health when there's been an infection as a result of work. So health and safety regulators in the states and territories can track where and how new infections are happening.
Without new rules and strong guidelines on workplace safety, we risk a second wave of infections and shutdown
Can you sign the petition and demand the government act to keep us safe at work? Sign Petition