OPTUS SHIFT WORKERS - OPTUS AGREES TO OUR CLAIMS

Following many months of approaches and demands, including preparation of a Court application, Optus has agreed to claims by members at Belrose. The claim we made was for payment of overtime for time worked handing over shifts. Staff in the Satellite group were working 15 minute shift handovers. This was unpaid. We sought payment and back pay. In the Court application we were seeking interest on backpay (for 6 years) and penalties to be imposed on Optus.
Optus has now advised us
1. That Optus will be paying overtime for any shift handover, commencing this week.
2. That Optus will also back pay staff for handover.
Backpay will be complex as records do not exist. Any settlement is likely to be a lump sum offer based on estimates.

ATTEN ALL OPTUS SHIFT WORKERS

While we were pursuing a virtual test case at Belrose, all shift workers may benefit from this. Shift handovers may be formal or informal. It does not have to be rostered. Staff are entitled to be paid for all time worked. Optus held meetings this week with various shift groups advising of their agreement to pay for handover time. Members will almost certainly need assistance with these negotiations. We are here to assist. Please contact me directly so that we can assist with meetings.

OPTUS PAY RECORDS

The shift handover claim has exposed the problem that insufficient records have been kept. Optus could face penalties for not keeping accurate pay records including start and finishing times. The obligations are set out in the Fair Work legislation. We understand that Optus has revised its record keeping and Optus has taken steps to ensure that more accurate records are kept. This may be inconvenient for you in the interim but is a legal requirement.

POST NSW JCC

The NSW JCC met on Friday 2 Feb and discussed a long agenda. Several matters had been resolved and others are progressing. Several issues are being referred to the National JCC. Gerard, Lakshita and Bill attended with me and they can discuss in detail any matters you are interested in. A short summary is provided below.

POST NSW JCC ISSUES

A number of staff issues were discussed particularly about the SPF structure. Jobs have been filled on higher duties and jobs have been advertised, settling those claims. Other issues re staff numbers, electricians needed, overtime continue to be discussed.
The complex issue of apprentices and trainees is unresolved. This overflows into the general issue of the need for full electrical licences. This is also complex and unresolved.
Start times at Kemps Creek are to change in line with staff requests.
We are pressing for a Designated Work Group for technical staff, and want more work on OHS issues. OHS issues include training, restricted licences, staff qualifications and shift numbers.

TELSTRA LEAVE 2024

The union received the following advice (extracts) from Telstra re 2024 leave.
Similar to last year, there are a range of initiatives planned to encourage employees to take time off to rest, recharge and to help reduce our annual leave and long service leave (LSL) balances.
In summary:
- Once again, there will not be an Easter shutdown this year. However, we'll be encouraging employees to take an extra annual leave day on either the 28 Mar or 2 Apr to get a 5-day long weekend.
- We'll have a summer shutdown. This will be for all but essential teams (including frontline) during the holiday period from Monday 23 Dec 2024 - Mon 6 Jan 2025 (inclusive). As a bonus, if an employee takes an additional one week's leave during this time, they'11 receive an extra bonus day off.
- Like last year, we'll be taking a proactive approach to managing excessive annual leave over the course of the Year, and ensuring employees with greater than 90 days LSL take their 9 days LSL before 31 Dec, in accordance with our policies and the Telstra EAs.

UNIONS NSW - UNPAID WORK

Note for members - this is a survey by Unions NSW
Do you ever arrive early at work, stay late, work through breaks or answer calls and emails outside of working hours? These are some of the common workplace issues we've heard about so far in our Unpaid Overtime Survey.
Workers have been sharing their stories of workplaces blurring work/life boundaries and failing to compensate workers for additional hours worked. One worker told us: "I brought it up with my employer (unpaid overtime) and he threatened me with 'having me thrown in jail and kicked out of the country.'"
We want to hear from you on this issue.
Each response helps create a better understanding of how workers are impacted by the issue and will help inform better policies to support workers. The survey takes around 5 minutes and also puts you into the draw to win a $200 Visa gift card.
Click here to take the survey now.