Your EBA9 offer: locks in job security and existing conditions

After months of bargaining and intense discussions over the past few weeks finalising the finer details, Australia Post’s formal EBA9 offer has been announced and an employee vote will take place shortly.

Your Union supports the offer.

Since bargaining commenced in November last year we have been consulting with and listening to members across the county. Thousands of members have participated in surveys on paper, online and on the phone and your officials have been on the ground talking to members in workplaces every day.

Over the last two weeks AURs from across the country have attended Union briefings and we have held mass member meetings in some of Australia Post’s larger workplaces.

Coming out of all of that, one thing is clear:  job security is your top priority.

Despite the roadblocks posed by the Abbott/Turnbull Government’s workplace bargaining policy, your Union has secured an EBA9 offer that secures your job and protects all your existing conditions.

That’s why your Union is recommending members lock it in.

What does the EBA9 offer lock in?

  • ALL current EBA8 conditions to continue, including:
    – Penalty rates
    – RRR
    – APSS and defined benefit Superannuation entitlements
    – Authorised Holiday
  • 3% new money, every year for three years made up of an annual 2% pay increase and a NEW 1% bonus calculated on your total income including allowances, penalties and overtime – subject to achievable conditions.
  • No forced redundancies for employees impacted by reform for the life of EBA9.

The Abbott/Turnbull Government’s workplace bargaining policy is still being applied to Australia Post.  As late as last night in Senate Estimates hearings in Canberra, pressure was being applied on Communications Minister Fifield and Senior Australia Post Executives. The Federal Government’s policy severely erodes job security and waters down existing conditions.

And whilst your Union strongly opposes the Government’s policy and its 2% annual pay limit, your CEPU EBA9 campaign has delivered an exemption that allows us to lock in every EBA8  entitlement and prevents forced redundancies for employees impacted by reform. And despite years of active industrial action campaigns in other agencies, Australia Post is the only Federal Government agency to receive this exemption.

Why members should vote to lock in this EBA9 offer:

The offer delivers the things that you told us were important to you:

  • PROTECT YOUR EXISTING CONDITIONS
    An exemption from the Federal Government’s Workplace Bargaining Policy, allowing the rolling-over of ALL the current EBA8 Agreement document – securing all your existing conditions including genuine consultation, dispute resolution procedures, the maximising of full-time jobs, the protection of penalty rates and the retention of your current RRR entitlements in full.
  • SECURE YOUR JOBS
    Extending the CEPU/Australia Post Reform Accord – protecting employees impacted by postal reform from involuntary (forced) redundancies for the life of EBA9.

    Further, a $22 million future skills training fund limited to Award / Operations level employees will ensure our members can be retrained and redeployed to growth areas of the business to secure their employment as our traditional work continues to be disrupted by shifts in consumer demands.

  • SAVE YOUR PICNIC DAY
    Your Union Picnic Day (Authorised Holiday) will remain untouched and its timing will remain subject to annual consultation as presently occurs.
  • PROTECT YOUR SUPERANNUATION
    Protecting the current APSS defined superannuation benefits, and the 12% accumulation rate for non-APSS members, for the life of EBA9.
  • DELIVER ANNUAL PAY RISES
    In addition to the Government Workplace Bargaining Policy’s maximum 2% annual wage cap, we have secured an additional annual 1% bonus payment that will be calculated against your actual gross annual earnings – including overtime, additional hours, penalty rates, allowances and other non-salary earnings with a minimum safety-net payment of $250 to employees earning less than $25,000 p.a. This equates to more than 3% of real, new money every year for the life of a three-year EBA9.

What happens next?

Over the next two weeks officials will be visiting workplaces across the country to brief members on the offer and answer any questions you might have.

On May 30, the full text of the proposed EBA9 document will be distributed to all employees. This is a legal requirement and gives all employees an opportunity to consider the agreement.

From June 7, all Australia Post employees will receive ballot papers in the mail giving them the opportunity to vote.

We can’t lock in your job security and existing conditions unless the majority of eligible employees vote YES in the EBA9 ballot.

We want to hear from you

We want to hear your views on your EBA9 offer and answer any questions you may have. You can contact us now by clicking here.

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