The CEPU has seen emails from Telstra HR to employees calling almost for "expressions of ECA interest".
We suspect this is nothing more than a numbers game, with Telstra HR trying to work out where opposition to a non-Union deal is weakest, so they can try to roll out an agreement there.
It's claimed that HR are promising to change the model which has now been rejected three times by employees.
Any change will be minimal because they wish to retain the fundamentals of their Part A / Part B ECA, because it enables them to cut wages, conditions and rights into the future.
It's worth remembering some of the major problems with Telstra’s non-negotiated ECA:
- Cost of living increases at present are 5.7% and growing.
- Telstra is refusing to allow you to have the AIRC available for settling disputes – Telstra will be the judge, jury and executioner.
- Telstra totally controls the performance management system and performance pay system, and do and will, use it to your disadvantage with no checks and balances.
- Telstra will use the facilitative clauses to change your hours of duty, your span of hours and your days in the week.
- Telstra is not offering to protect the current redundancy agreement. In fact if you support their ECA you will be removed from the protective elements of the agreement.
- Once adopted the ECA would be used to manipulate major downgrades of positions across the board, without any recourse for employees.
- The Part A and Part B model guarantees that the more expensive Part A employees will be managed out of the business, in favour of the cheaper Part B employees.
- In a non-Union agreement the constraints against effective Union representation and involvement are considerable.
Who would want to pick up a deal like this?