Weekly Bulletin

TECHNICAL AND SERVICES BRANCH WEEKLY BULLETIN 2023

Number 07       4 March 2023


SUPERANNUATION CHANGES UNLIKELY TO AFFECT YOU - ACTU

Unless you're one of the 80,000 Australians who have more than $3 million in your superannuation account, news about increased tax rates won't affect you personally. But here's why it's still important ? and good! ? news for you: this change is a first step in unwinding the inequality baked into our super system. Workers fought for superannuation to be paid on top of wages so they could enjoy a dignified life after work. Not so a handful of extremely rich people could rort it as a tax minimisation scheme.
The announcement from the Albanese Government sends the message: Enough is enough. For too long tax concessions have unfairly flowed to the rich, giving them billions of dollars in support they don't need. We need to reform the system so it is fairer and more sustainable, and tackling unequal tax concessions in the first step in doing so. Stopping unfair tax concessions means more money for our vital public services and projects to develop good jobs and secure work.
We're already hearing squealing from the very rich and their defenders about how unfair this is - as Sally said, they really need to "get over themselves."

AUS POST ISSUES

We met with Post 2 weeks ago to discuss a number of issues. We followed up with a list of issues. We now have a written response from Normy Chamoun. We reproduce his response in full: Dear Dan Thank you for your time last week and giving me the opportunity to review the below. I have provided a response for each for you.

1. Manning of Kemps Creek and times. Seeking days, times of shifts, and how selections to be made. Seeking classifications proposed.
Response: An LWG has been established to determine how staff are selected/rostered into Kemps Creek.
The interim staffing arrangement at Kemps Creek 2 + 2 + 2 with review in July 2023

2. Team leaders/2IC ? agreed last year, backpay claim. Structure implemented without upgrade.
Response: We are in the final stages of sign off and will consult as soon as this is complete. Any technical team members who are promoted as part of the Review Implementation will be paid at the date they are promoted in the designated position.

3. SME upgrading (banding) - loss of SME - Seeking where SME/EL needed and how many
Response: Following our discussion Tuesday, an engagement meeting has been established with the SMEs on Wednesday 01/03/23

4. Under qualified staff - no electrician's licence - Seeking only electrically qualified staff appointed and Post resume offer of formal electrical apprenticeship.
Response: People will be recruited with the qualifications and skillset to perform the functions required. David Barrett has advised that the SPF TCM Meeting established requirement to clarify the tasks and the qualifications required.

5. 1 day of training for Kemps Ck - Technical training insufficient - need OHS survey and formal OHS demarcation - eg no operators upstairs. Need WP for OHS specific.
Response: A 3 Day Training Package is available to our Team. 1 Day, site induction and extendable conveyors 2 Day Beumer

6. Reduced staffing at SPF. Staff reporting that shift is being reduced to 4 when only recently confirmed at 5. No consultation.
Response: David Barrett has confirmed roster remains 5 and there has been no change.

7. Eastern Ck closing. Q Is it a technical redundancy and redeployment? NC closing about mid-April.
Response: Technical duties will be reassigned to other sites as per Kemps Creek LWG.

8. PTO4 quals - moving up increments. Matter agreed nationally and some work being done but seems to be blocked.
Response: The process is available and Team Members have been made aware of the requirements to fulfil the documentation in 2022. Any team member requiring assistance can reach out to their team leader.

9. Future technical structure when Jamie leaves.
Response: Jamie finishes up on Tuesday 28/02/23 and Tom Berger will be stepping up in to higher duties as the facility Technical Manager role for SWLF.

Thanks Normy Chamoun Head of Processing NSW/ACT

TPG EBA CERTIFIED

TPG has established an EBA covering call centre, Retail and warehouse workers. Technical staff will be covered by a separate EBA.
The Agreement guarantees a wage increase of just 4% in year-one, and 3% in years two and three, respectively.
The Consumer Price Index is currently running at a rate of 7.8%. This means the pay outcome in the TPG EA will leave employees almost 4% short when trying to keep up with the cost of living in year-one. The gap subsequently widens in years two and three, as inflation is forecasted to continue to rise and the wage outcome shrinks.
Furthermore, TPG has insisted on maintaining a wages threshold in order to become eligible for guaranteed wage rises in 2024 and 2025. For example, if a Level 1 employee's gross annual earnings for 2023, including gross commissions and bonuses, equals or exceeds $78,000, they will not receive a guaranteed pay rise in 2024. Similar thresholds apply across all classification levels.
That is why our Branch opposed the EBA.
WAY AHEAD: Your wages outcome is in your hands. You need bargaining power - and membership of a union is the only pathway to increased bargaining power. Make your workplace a union workplace and let us strive for a much bigger outcome in the next EBA. Organising starts now.

TPG EBA - FWC REQUIRED UNDERTAKINGS

The TPG EBA has been modified by undertakings given by TPG in the FWC. These undertakings are now part of the EBA. Section 185 - Application for approval of a single enterprise agreement - Undertaking - Section 190

I, Greer Spence, General Manager - People Experience have the authority given In me by TPG Telecom Limited to give the following undertakings with respect to the TPG Telecom Connect Enterprise Agreement {"the Agreement"):
1. In clause B of the Agreement. the Employer undertakes ID add a new clause 8A to be inserted before clause 8.1 as follows:
For the avoidance of doubt, clause 8 of the Connect Agreement is to be read in conjunction with section 65 of the Fair Work Act."

2. In clause 15 of the Agreement the Employer undertakes to acid anew clause 15_3 as follows:
'If an Employee is transferred to another Stale, the cast of removal expenses reasonably incurred must be paid for by us. An Employee who transfers at their own request will be required to pay their own, expenses.'

3. In clause 24 of the Agreement, the Employer undertakes to add a new clause 24A as follows:
"Notwithstanding any other Provision of Clause 24 of this Connect Agreement an Employee may make a written request to the taking of tine off instead of being paid for a particular amount of overtime that has been worked by the Employee, We will consider, but are not required to agree to, any such request."

4. In clause 25.1 of the Agreement, the Employer undertakes that the words 'well pay you as follows (tor a min mum of 3 hours' work subject to clause 25.2):' are to be deleted, and replaced by the words "we'll pay you as (dims bra minimum of 3 hours regardless of time actually worked (subject to clause 25.2)."

5 In clause a6.5 of the Agreement, the Employer undertakes that the words but not by arbitration- are to be deleted and replaced by the weeds 'or by consent arbitration`

6. In Schedule F of the Agreement, the Employer undertakes to replace the text under the heading -Schedule E Part 1(b) - Casual Employees with the following:
"In addition to the penalty rates set out Part 1(b) of Schedule E if you are a Casual Employee who is an Airport Employee, you are entitled to:
150% of your Casual Rate of Pay for hours worked between 5.00am - 7:00am; Monday to Saturday, and 9:00pm - 11.30pm, Monday to Saturday
150% of your Casual Rate of Pay for It worked between 9:00pm - 11.30pm; Sunday
155% of your Casual Rate of Pay for hours worked between 5.00am - 9:00am, Sunday.'

MEMBERSHIP FEES

We advise that our Committee of Management will adjust our membership fees by about 3%. This follows an adjustment last year. We had not adjusted fees for about 5 years. Further, we are in the process of aligning our fees with the Victorian rates, following our amalgamation with that Branch. We have also adjusted the salary ranges associated with the fees and some members may be reduced. The new fees are:

	Your salary		Fees
  A	$ 90,774 and above 	$ 690.00
  B	$ 75,783     $ 90,774 	$ 625.00
  C 	$ 53,599     $ 75,783  	$ 490.00
  D	 less than   $ 53,599  	$ 245.00 

OPTUS PAY INCREASES

The Optus EBA provides that minimum rates increase with CPI. Thus the increase last year was 5.1%. But this did not mean that everyone got a pay increase. The new minimum rates are below. Next EBA we must achieve guaranteed pay increases each year for all. The only way to make sure that this happens is to strengthen union membership. It's up to you.

Level 	  30 Mar 22`       01 Jul 22
14	$ 103,639.00     $108,924.59
13	$  89,818.00     $ 94,398.72
12	$  80,776.00     $ 84,895.58
11	$  69,775.00     $ 73,333.53
10	$  60,301.00     $ 63,376.35
 9	$  55,123.00     $ 57,934.27
 8	$  59,983.00     $ 53,583.13
 7	$  45,590.00     $ 47,915.09
 6	$  41,069.00     $ 43,163.52

PROFITS SKYROCKET WHILE WAGES STALL - ACTU

Corporate profits surged by 10.6% in the quarter to Dec 2022, the biggest quarterly jump since the early days of the pandemic (June 2022), according to figures released by the Australian Bureau of Statistics.
In stark contrast, profits are growing at four times the rate of the total wages bill of companies, which only grew by just 2.6% for the same quarter.
Year-on-year profits have risen by 16%.
These results are also reflected in the recent mega-profit announcements from Qantas ($1.4 billion); Woolworths ($907 million, up 14%); Coles ($643 million, up 17.1%); and the Commonwealth Bank ($5.15 billion, up 9%).
These corporate profits, resulting from price rises, are the key driver of inflation, not wages.
ACTU Secretary Sally McManus: "Today's profit data shows companies are raising prices more than they need to and gouging workers. The simple fact is inflation is at 7.8%, which is more than double wage growth of just 3.3%. This caused the greatest drop in real wages in recorded history last year."


CONTACT US IN NSW
  • 0428 942 878 dan.dwyer@cwunion.net Dan Dwyer
          Secretary/Lawyer - industrial matters & advice
  • 0447 365 433 reception@cwunion.net Administrative
          eg payments, applications, change of details
  • Home Page
  • CONTACT US IN VIC
  • 0439 762 455 SRiley@cwu.asn.au Sue Riley
          Secretary - industrial matters & advice
  • 03 9663 6815 cdtsvic@cwu.asn.au Administrative
          eg payments, applications, change of details
  • Home Page
  • Authorised by Dan Dwyer NSW Secretary, Sue Riley Vic Secretary - CWU Telecommunications & Services Branches.

    NSW Branch

    VIC Branch


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