The email below was
written by a new
member. This member
took their concerns
about Telstra's
bizarre actions
straight to
Deputy Prime
Minister Julia
Gillard.
We don't need to
editorialise about
the corporation's
actions - here's a
view straight from
an employee's
perspective:
Dear Julia,
My name is (J) and I
write to comment in
relation to Telstra
Corp Ltd’s decision
yesterday to cease
negotiations with
the Unions in
relation to the
Enterprise
Bargaining
Agreement.
I was relieved to
read in Fairfax
newspapers that you
have already
clarified some facts
on the issue,
because as you know
Telstra has
justified walking
away from the
negotiating table by
focusing on the so
called “side
agreements” put
forward, and stating
certain elements of
the Union’s requests
are “illegal”, as
well as saying they
want their EA
employees to be able
to vote on “all the
issues, not just
some of them”.
My personal belief
(as a Telstra
employee on an AWA
that has about 4
years to go until
its nominal expiry
date) is that
Telstra’s reasons
for yesterdays’
decision are more
fundamental. I
believe that Telstra
want to avoid, at
all costs, any
provision for staff
on a non-expired AWA
to convert to
collective
agreements before
the AWA’s nominal
expiry date. This
would be in context
with Telstra’s push
to re-offer AWA’s
late last year to
all employees,
shortly before they
were outlawed.
Frankly, I think it
is disgraceful
behaviour from such
a large & profitable
company.
More and more people
in Telstra (and no
doubt many other
companies) are now
realising that all
AWA’s were designed
to do was give the
employer more power
and control, and
reduce conditions
and remuneration. I
have experienced
this in my very own
department, where
new staff that have
been employed
recently doing
exactly the same job
role are getting
thousands of dollars
a year more than I
am, even though my
tenure is longer.
This is simply for
the fact that they
are employed on an
ITEA.
Julia, you and your
Government have
taken steps in the
right direction and
I applaud that, but
I urge you to treat
this situation as a
priority. To really
improve the
workplace relations
landscape in this
country here and
now, their needs to
be a mechanism for
people on AWA’s that
have not expired to
convert off them
anyway – the
situation with
Telstra that is
happening now will
surely be repeated
with other large
companies as
Enterprise
Bargaining
discussions come up
in the future.
It now appears
Telstra will try to
remain with the
status quo for as
long as possible,
forcing people to
serve out AWA’s they
do not want to be
on. I implore you
and the Government
to apply the utmost
pressure on Telstra
about this issue to
show the
Governments’ opinion
of such arrogant
workplace relations
behaviour.
I hope to hear your
thoughts on this
issue.
Yours Sincerely,
J.
