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Gillard
Slams Telstra for ending EBA talks
Friday
Thursday 18 July 2008
 The
below article appeared in The Age, 17 July 2008
Jesse Hogan and Chris Zappone
Minister for Employment & Workplace Relations Julia Gillard has dismissed Telstra's rationale for scrapping enterprise bargaining agreements after the telco severed negotiations with the ACTU today over a side agreement the company claims would give the union more influence at the company.
Telstra argued the side agreement, which would grant the union more access to Telstra premises and force the company to ensure its contractors had similar minimum conditions for their own staff, was unlawful in the construction industry and would therefore have disqualified the company from bidding for the $4.7 billion national broadband network tender.
"The National Code and Guidelines for the Construction Industry do not in any way prevent a company subject to their operation from negotiating a collective agreement with their employees or their employees' representatives," Ms Gillard said in a statement. "Any claims to the contrary are incorrect."
Telstra, the fourth largest public company in Australia, and the ACTU have been negotiating over a new EBA since May 15, although Telstra insists the EBA negotiations never got "passed first base" because of the ACTU's commitment to a side agreement.
"AWAs are not part of this nation's future because the Australian people voted at the last election to get rid of Work Choices and unfair AWAs," Ms Gillard said. "It is in the interests of co-operative workplace relations for proper negotiations to occur in an environment of respect."
The ACTU also lamented the early end of negotations, saying Telstra's move "is not at all helpful."
ACTU secretary Jeff Lawrence, in a statement, also described as "appalling" Telstra's decision to sign up 15,000 employees to new Australian workplace agreements after the election but before they could be banned by the new Government.
''Work Choices and the use of AWA individual contracts were resoundingly rejected by the Australian public at last year's federal election," said Mr Lawrence. ''The position of the company's management is also at odds with public opinion.
Between 30% to 40% of Telstra staff are covered by the current EBA, but the company did not give a firm indication of what would happen to them - nor under the type of agreements new Telstra employees would be employed under.
The company said it had "a number of options" about employment terms for new and existing staff and expected to give an update on its employment plans within weeks.
The ACTU said 11,000 Telstra workers's EBA will expire later this year, while 21,000 workers on AWAs will expire "in the near future."
Telstra shares ended the day down 2 cents, or 0.5%, at $4.25.czappone@fairfax.com.au
http://business.theage.com.au/business/gillard-slams-telstra-for-ending-eba-talks-20080717-3gt9.html
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