This week Telstra unions met with management to present your issues for the next agreement.
We stressed to Telstra management that any new agreement must:
deliver pay rises that keep up with inflation
protect redundancy entitlements and other conditions
resolve AWA transition issues
build better workplace relations in Telstra.
Pay and productivity
Your union negotiators explained to Telstra that latest forecasts suggest an annual inflation rate of 4.6%, and that the price of food and other house-hold essentials rose by 12 % in the last year. We also made the point that Telstra employees are among the most productive in the world according to international ‘revenue per employee’ comparisons. Average Telstra employee productivity has risen by an average of 8.4% every year since 2003. (OECD)We also pointed out the growing disparity between pay rises for Telstra’s top seven executives (30%) and the rest of the Telstra workforce (2.5%).
Other issues discussed
Other matters unions raised based on your feed-back included
retention of redundancy entitlements for all current and future employees, and retention of grandfathering provisions
a fair transition from AWAs to the EAs and the capacity for AWA employees to move to the EA before their AWA expires.
Hours of work, public holidays and rosters
Improved maternity and parental leave provisions
Processes to facilitate access to sick, family and annual leave
A new, fair and objective performance management system
Access to independent conciliation and arbitration.
A new relationship
With the assistance of the ACTU, unions proposed a ‘constructive relationship’ agreement to Telstra. Our aim is to move away from the hostile, legalistic approach which has characterised industrial relations in Telstra over the last decade. Telstra faces significant challenges - we think the way to move forward is through Telstra, the unions and the ACTU, working with all staff for high performance and high paying jobs. The proposal outlines the role of workplace representatives, the right to join and have access to union support, and consultation. We think it’s a good way forward – the ball is now in Telstra’s court!
