TELSTRA EA - STAFF VOTED YES

On the same day that the CPI result was 5.1%, Telstra staff voted to accept a pay rise in October this year of just 2.5%. What a disgrace that some Union Branches did not support a NO vote.
The EA vote results were:
 67% of eligible employees voted on the Telstra Limited EA, with 82% voting yes.
 83% of eligible employees voted on the Amplitel EA, with 92% voting yes.
 79% of eligible employees voted on the InfraCo EA, with 79% voting yes.
 57% of eligible employees voted on the Retail EA, with 90% voting yes
Telstra will now submit the EBAs to the Fair Work Commission for approval. The new EBAs will take effect 7 days after the FWC approves the EBAs.

TELSTRA SEC DISPUTE

No agreement could be reached in this matter. The matter concluded last Thursday after 4 earlier days of hearing. The essential question is whether the SEC shift staff have been engaged as shiftworkers or agreed to become shiftworkers. We have argued that they are non shiftworkers who have agreed to undertake shiftwork pursuant to Cl 16.4(c). That is they did not agree to become shiftworkers only to do shiftwork. See Clause 16.4 of the 2019 EBA to understand the significance of these arguments.
The FWC has also to determine, first, if the SEC staff can unilaterally exit shiftwork. FWC is also to determine whether a group flexibility agreement is needed when 12 hour shifts are in existence.
The FWC has reserved its decision.

TPG EBA DEVELOPMENTS

There has been a significant development with the EBA talks as TPG has now agreed to remove all Technical designations from the EBA. The EBA talks will resume covering Contact staff, logistics and general staff.
We have asked TPG to commence EBA discussions for all Technical and IT staff, even those not previously covered by the previous EBA discussions. We await their response.

WORKPLACE SAFETY - ACTU

When it comes to workplace injuries and fatalities, Australia presents some sobering statistics. Last year alone...
1,500 workers were injured at work every single day.
194 Australians were killed on the job.
5,000+ workers died from preventable occupational diseases.
On International Workers Memorial Day, we took a moment to remember those who have been killed, disabled, or physically or mentally injured by their work. It provides an opportunity to reflect on how to prevent work-related deaths, diseases, injuries, and illnesses.
Showing up at work shouldn't mean putting your life at risk. Not only are these figures unacceptable but they are preventable.
A report released by the ACTU this week highlights how Scott Morrison and the Liberal Government have been missing in action when it comes to ensuring workers can do their job in safety. In fact, since Scott Morrison became Prime Minister, there has been an 8% increase in work place serious injuries and a 32% increase in workplace deaths. Going to work has become more dangerous under the Morrison Government.
Australian needs a Federal Government that will take action to make work safe, secure and healthy; a Government that cares about working people.
Workers are people first. That's why union members stand together for better workplace conditions and protected workers' rights.

OPTUS REDUNDANCIES

Optus has advised staff of further redundancies. Optus said:
Within Optus Enterprise, we have identified that our business remains too complex and manual to effectively drive revenue growth. Our financial results, and those of our key competitors, are telling us we need to rapidly adjust to the changing market dynamics.
As part of the transformation, OE and Singtel Group Enterprise will deepen its strategic partnership with Infosys, focusing on leveraging its capabilities to increase productivity through greater integration and digitalisation. Certain roles in Optus Enterprise Delivery will be transferred to Infosys or impacted by these changes and made redundant.
The transferred workloads will remain in Australia, and roles will continue to be based from Optus locations.
Selection was determined by assessing all individuals in Technical Analyst positions against objective criteria relevant to performance of those roles in the future structure.
In a separate advice Optus said:
As a result of the decision to expand this partnership, components of the following functions will transition to Infosys:
 Service Assurance (Service Mgmt & ICT Transition, Service Configuration, TAC (Incident Management)
 Professional Services
 Managed Delivery

OPTUS EMPLOYMENT CONDITIONS

We are available to assist members.
Transfer to Infosys - This is a transfer of business, and for those covered by the EBA, all conditions will go with you to Infosys, and will remain with you until an EBA is created in Infosys.
Redundancy: Optus advise that the following applies:
- A retrenchment package which includes notice, a severance payment in accordance with the entitlements under EPA 2022 and the balance of any annual leave and long service leave (if applicable). For long service leave, all employees with 5 or more years of continuous service will be paid pro-rata long service leave;
- Outplacement / Career Transition support paid for by Optus which can be tailored to meet the individual's needs;
- Access to Employee Assistance Program for themselves and their families for of 3 months; and
- Continuation of employee discounts on Optus products for 3 months

CPI INCREASES - ACTU

Official confirmation came of how bad the cost-of-living crisis and wage crisis have become. This new data shows that the average worker will receive a real pay cut of nearly $2,000 in the first half of this year, nearly 4 times more than the Morrison Government projected in the budget less than a month ago.
This is the worst real pay cut for working people this century.
The cost of groceries, petrol and rent are all going up and our wages are not.
This is the real legacy of Scott Morrison and the Liberal Government. The legacy of almost a decade of coalition Governments refusing to do anything to generate wage growth for working people - working people watching the value of their wages do backwards by nearly $2,000 in the first half of this year alone.
Australian workers deserve a government that will stand up for their interests and fight for wage growth, not one that makes empty promises and sits by while their wages go backwards

TELSTRA COVID 19 VACCINATION POLICY - PROPOSED CHANGES

Telstra is proposing to amend its Covid policy to cater for those who have caught Covid and now have immunity. The following is the draft:
Telstra is proposing to make a further policy change to Telstra's Covid-19 Vaccination Policy based on the latest health advice and to give more clarity to anyone not yet fully vaccinated. In summary:
 If an employee is in a role that requires them to be fully vaccinated - like frontline or critical infrastructure roles - and they test positive for COVID:
 They will be able to defer vaccination for up to four months (based on current ATAGI advice) while continuing to do their normal duties. They will need to show proof of infection and let their leader know so they can submit a medical exemption request on their behalf through Donesafe.
 Only one exemption will be granted as the health advice continues to be that vaccination is the best way to prevent serious illness from COVID. ATAGI also advises there's no reason to delay vaccination once an employee has recovered from a confirmed COVID infection.
 This exemption won't apply to anyone who can work from home. Instead, they will need to wait until they recover and get vaccinated before coming back to the office or attending Telstra events.