There's been a lot of drama
mixed in with specially coded words
following Telstra's HR managers
decided to steer the EA talks
towards a brick wall.
Telstra managers are wandering the
country claiming we want to push
agreements that they describe as
"illegal" and are "side agreements"
that threaten their ability to
secure the NBN contract.
The Deputy Prime Minister knocked
some of these claims for six
yesterday - here's our story on
that:
But what are these side agreements
that supposedly threaten to bring
down Australia's fourth largest
company?
The documents are an important way
of re-establishing a relationship
that -- let's face it -- for most
part has been one-sided and
dysfunctional.
They seek to wipe the slate clean
and get management and unions
working together for the good of the
company.
They're not side agreements
at all - they mean alot to the
members represented by
the unions.
Just like we don't treat the NBN as
a "side agreement", Telstra managers
shouldn't be allowed to get away
with language that treats serious
and genuine efforts to re-build
relationships as "side agreements".
Faced with a skills shortage
environment -- with NBN bidders just
itching to poach staff -- Telstra
management should look to the words
of the Deputy Prime Minister:
"It's the Government's view that
cooperative workplace relations
drive productivity, employee
engagement and satisfaction... I
hope that by working together
the union movement and Telstra
can develop outcomes which are
in the best interests of Telstra
employees," Ms Gillard said in a
letter to the ACTU on 20 June,
2008.
So in the interests of fostering a
cooperative workplace relations
environment to drive productivity,
employee engagement and satisfaction
we presented Telstra with these two
documents:
Please read them and let us know
what you think - because we believe
they will help Telstra become a
stronger, more productive company by
creating a better working
relationship.
