OPTUS SHIFT HANDOVER

We have raised the issue of non payment for shift handover time with Optus some time ago. Members must be paid for any time while handing over from shift to shift. We can enforce payment with interest back 6 years. Optus has been taking too long to respond. This week we sent the following:

Our members at Belrose have been undertaking shift handovers without payment. If we have not received a positive response within 7 days, we will take whatever action is necessary to resolve the situation.

We will advise of any response and the action we will take.

CHANGES AT OUR OFFICE

Sue Riley has resigned as our Branch Secretary, effective 30/5/23. Dan Dwyer has been appointed Branch Secretary and John Ellery has been appointed Assistant Secretary. Sue remains as a Senior Industrial Officer.

POST SPF STAFF EXPRESS SERIOUS CONCERNS

The chaos at SPF remains with many unresolved industrial issues arising from poor management and staff escapes to other workplaces. We have identified these issues and advised Post:

• Post has not finalised the overtime roster or allocation. This is overdue 3 months.
• The overtime tally not being used correctly and the Fair Work agreement is ignored.
• The unfair distribution of overtime to a certain shift.
• The Technical review positions have been reduced according to the new structure. (No planner and no SMEs shown). The implementation is overdue 6 months
• This coming week Post has removed a rostered shift of overtime on Sunday and has also cut Sunday numbers across facilities.
• Post does not fill any of the dayshift/Maintenance shift positions when people are sick.
• Post does not have the 5th position on shift filled.
• Post does not pay the Public holiday correctly.
• Post is allocating more hours of work then there is in a day to complete.
• Post has not finalised new rosters.
• Post has fixed certain peoples rosters at outpost creating issues for rotating and maintenance team.
• An acting TTL is currently higher then all technicians and Team leaders on overtime tally.
• TTL position from PTO6 to 7 not being offered to current TTLs.
• TTLs, Union rep and union members being counselled for nothing.

POST SPF STAFF CONCERNS - WHERE TO NOW?

The above issues arose from a number of members expressing their disappointment with management. At the latest meeting with management we asked about the agreement that the 5th shift would be filled. We were told that the new interpretation is that they would roster the 5th position, but did not agree to fill the positions!!!!!
We disagree. The (Post) minutes of the meeting state:

11. GC raised the issue of short staff and increased workload during the breaks. He pointed out that we were only obligated to do 1 sorter clearance per break. Now we are currently being asked to do 3 cleardowns, cover the floor during breaks and now look after SPS also. GC pointed out pockets of time that the floor is not being covered. He asked DB why we are still running with the same numbers even after gaining the new sorter.
12. DB stated 3 extra Tech positions were included in business case for SPS (1 tech per shift). The extra technician will not be dedicated for SPS they will work with existing team & will be utilised on SPS as required. These techs should already be on the floor. Current agreed rostered staffing is 4 technicians for LPSS + 1 SPS paid tech = 5 technicians on the floor.

The problem is the inability of production staff to understand complex technical issues and ways to deal with them.
We will seek a meeting with Normy to see if we can avoid other action on this.

QANTAS CABIN CREW EMPLOYED BY 14 COMPANIES - ACTU

ACTU research has mapped the extensive use of labour hire companies by Qantas to drive down the wages and rights of Australian workers.
The research shows that Qantas has split its cabin crew workforce across 14 companies and contractors to drive down wages and conditions so they can post billions in profits, whilst workers struggle with the cost of living.
There have been no new direct cabin crew hires from Qantas since 2008. Cabin crew since then are contracted to various hire companies, most owned by Qantas, to work side by side with directly employed crew. Some of these labour hire cabin crew earn less than half the directly employed crew and miss out on penalty rates, have less job security, and have a harder time with work/life balance as they can get less than 2 hours' notice of a shift.
Some labour hire crew are supervising other staff that are paid more than them.
ACTU Secretary Sally McManus: "On some Qantas domestic flights, you might see 5 different rates of pay on the same plane."
"Clearly flight attendants are doing the same job and being paid different wages. It's the same beef or chicken, the same emergency procedures, but its vastly different rates of pay. If we continue to allow the biggest companies in our country to use these loopholes, it spreads everywhere cutting wages and job security across the workforce."