Communication Workers Union

TELSTRA MANAGEMENT MISINFORMATION – EBA AUSPOLL SURVEY

Much misinformation is being spread “word of mouth” by Telstra managers at present. Clearly it is aimed at trying to stop or undermine the CEPU members’ campaign to achieve a decent EBA. Let us restate the facts for the record:

• Telstra management refused to negotiate for 12 months after they walked out of the talks in June 2008.
• Telstra management wanted to use the 12 months to continue their decade and a half long project to de-unionise the Telstra workforce.
• They spent the 12 months trying to rollout ECAs, (non-union, non-negotiated contracts), to the entire EBA workforce.
• They had already used the Howard Government’s workplace laws, which included AWAs, to de-unionise a large proportion of the workforce.
• They paid anyone who was prepared to agree to a non-union ECA contract, 4.5% + 4% + 4% (12.5%) over 3 years, with back pay to October 2008.
• They gerrymandered, sliced and diced, and reorganised parts of the business to manipulate shonky voting, desperately trying to get a majority vote for their ECAs in various areas.
• Despite this, the overwhelming majority of the EBA workforce said “NO” in order to stick with the principle of a union negotiated, acceptable EBA.
• The action taken by the EBA employees forced management to bargain in good faith on most issues. However, management have resisted paying the EBA workforce the same amount of money as they paid the ECA workforce who do similar work.
• If nothing changes, EBA workers will be from $10,000 to $20,000 worse off than ECA workers, over the life of the agreement.
• This doesn’t take into account huge losses for some, in their superannuation, overtime pay, allowances, redundancy payout etc.
• Telstra management want the EBA employees to pay:

Despite the fact that it was management who refused to negotiate.

Despite the fact that it is the management who devised the plan to de-unionise the workforce.

Despite the fact that the management voluntarily paid the 12.5% over 3 years in the midst of the Global Financial Crisis.

Management are currently busy rumour mongering amongst Telstra employees,  at the time the CEPU is conducting an AUSPOLL survey of its members to ascertain their views on a range of EBA related topics.

Beware management lies and dirty tricks (although we should be used to “Telstraspeak” and “Telstradirtytricks” by now), from Telstra management.

One or two managers have even gone to the point of threatening employees’ jobs if they persist with legal, protected industrial action. In fact they are stepping up, and threatening to step up, their use of contractors to try to get around the industrial action (didn’t they say the industrial action isn’t having any effect?).

Much of this is a breach of the law, and even though these managers don’t have the guts to put their threats in writing, keep a record of times, names, dates and details etc, and contact the union.

Clearly Corporate HR and the current senior managers in Telstra have created this current mess. They cannot be allowed to escape the responsibility of their actions. (How do they retain their jobs?)

As a start the discrimination against the largely unionised EBA workforce must cease. It’s unfortunate that it takes industrial disruption and a public exposure of the company to achieve that, but that is how it is.

Make sure you fill out the AUSPOLL survey and return it. Don’t allow these so-called “managers” to intimidate you and divert you from putting your honest views on the issue.

LEN COOPER
Branch Secretary
M. 0438 389 302