04 AUG 24 - TZV REPORT
The EBA has now been forwarded to Government for approval. Once approved it will be published for a week before you will be asked to vote. We are still dealing with some wording changes.
We have been inundated with new policies to be assessed by our delegates. See the list below. We will meet TZV this Thursday to discuss the trial at Ballarat and get more detail.
28 JUL 24 - TZV EBA PROGRESS
We met this week to resolve some technical matters in the EBA wording. There are no outstanding matters (this does not mean that some may arise as we reread the draft). It is expected that it will go to government for confirmation this week. See the Heads of Agreement page
16 JUNE 24 - AGREEMENT REACHED
CWU, VAU, UFU and UWU (the Unions) have unanimously agreed to resolve the outstanding issues with 000Vic and the Enterprise Agreement. On 9 June 2024, the Unions communicated to Julius Roe our position that we will
collectively support an in-principle agreement and call for a yes vote if:
1. The ATLs and TLs who have currently got one year or more of service move to the one-year service mark in the new classification structure in six months. Then those who have two or more years of service move to the two-year service mark in twelve months.
2. The operative date for the new classification structure increases is 30 April 2024 rather than the date of the agreement coming into operation.
000 VIC are prepared to accept the Unions position subject to:
1. The in-principle agreement and heads of agreement of 3 April 2024 is reaffirmed.
2. No industrial action is in place or proposed.
3. The Unions are committed to finalising the drafting by a revised agreed date of 28 June 2024 (in lieu of the previously agreed deadline of 30 April).
4. The Unions will be supportive of the approval of the agreement in a ballot.
Please be advised that the uniform ban will be lifted from Thursday 20 June 2024.
Next steps: Upon completion of drafting, the Enterprise Agreement will need final approval from Government, it will then be voted on by all Employees, then filed for certification at the Fair Work Commission.
FROM SUE RILEY: I write this bulletin to address some issues that have arisen over the last few weeks and provide some clarity.
Bargaining Process
There are 4 Unions that are party to the Enterprise Agreement that cover all Employees. We are known as a Single Bargaining Unit (SBU), which is recognised in the Fair Work Act. We are a group of Unions who represent members who have common interests with one another in regard to claims for a Single Enterprise agreement. The Agreement covers All employees whether they are union members or not and All employees will vote on the proposed new Agreement.
The SBU is bound by s.176 of the Fair Work Act.
The bargaining system can be unnecessarily lengthy & complicated, however it's a system that we're stuck with.
Principles
Respect is a fundamental element of ethical negotiations, requiring negotiators to treat each other with dignity and acknowledge diverse perspectives. This encompasses avoiding disrespectful language or behaviour, fostering an environment of mutual respect that is conducive to open and constructive communication. Some of these principles have fallen short.
Recent Survey and what led to it
After the SBU agreed in principle on 3rd April to a Heads of Agreement (HoA), we commenced drafting the new Agreement. During this time it was discovered that there was a different interpretation of when years of service applied and to who in the new Classification Structure. 000Vic had costed the translation with YoS being applied after commencement, which was not what was understood by the SBU. Fortunately, this was discovered before it being agreed to and lodged at FWC for certification.
As a result the Unions met with the Employer to try and resolve the impasse. During this meeting, the Employer offered the YoS to CTD, and that it would apply to ATL/TS's during the life of the Agreement. Note: ATL/TL's do not currently receive YoS. 000Vic proposed the new CS to take effect upon commencement if the Agreement. The date of translation of the new CS was never included in the HoA. It was to be decided in drafting, which the officials were completing. (Julius Roe timetable)
I communicated the offer to the CWU delegates the next day, and informed them I was meeting with the other Unions to discuss next step the next week. The delegates informed me they were not agreeable to the new offer which I relayed to the SBU. At this meeting, the SBU considered that we should test the views of the membership. This is the normal course of events in an EBA to gauge the views of the entire membership who will vote on the agreement. So that's why a survey went out to the membership of each union. As referenced above, it is relevant that all the unions conduct their own survey, so we have a joint position as a Single Bargaining Unit.
Other Industries
The Public Sector cover a range of industries from Emergency Services, Teachers, Nurses, etc. We are all bound by the Victorian Wage Policy of 3% plus 0.5% in productivity. If you hear of an industry that has achieved more than 3%, (e.g. the Victorian Police EBA reports 4% over 4 years) it will be under pillar 3 of the wages policy. TVPA and Vicpol agreed on 3% plus, 9 day fortnight, the exact same amount as us for sign-on but to be processed as a fortnightly sum and a mobility allowance, and the SOG`s received an increase in their allowance.
Bargaining is a collective process where some areas will receive benefits and others do not. E.g. not everybody is a mentor, not everybody works night shift, however every 4 years we try and improve some conditions as best we can.
CWU Facebook
This group was set up for CWU members of 000Vic for bulletin board information and a source for work related queries. It is not a sounding board for complaining or negativity, or sarcasm. In in the words of Wayne Gatt, The Police Association Secretary (The Age 23/4) "Posting popcorn emojis after an inane comment means your contribution is a rung lower than the inane comments you are entertained by,"
I do understand that members are burnt out, however it's not an excuse to cross the line. We want to make sure it's a good space for everyone to participate in, in a respectful environment.
Next steps
The Unions are waiting to hear from Julius Roe, as to whether 000Vic and the Vic Government will accept another counter offer. We will keep you informed.
The Victorian Ambulance Union Incorporated (VAU), Communications Electrical Plumbing Union (CEPU), United Firefighters' Union (UFU) and United Workers' Union (UWU) has met with Triple Zero Victoria (000VIC) to further discuss the recognition of service within the proposed Classification Structure, which has been in dispute. Following the meetings, 000VIC have proposed some arrangements to resolve the issues and move forward with the Agreement.
The Unions are seeking input from all of our membership about the proposed agreement as it is, via a survey, following those discussions. Detailed below are the improvements to your current conditions achieved during bargaining for the purposes of completing the survey.
Please take the time to thoroughly read through and understand the whole bulletin inclusive of `What happens if there is no in-principle agreement'. Attached is also a tool in the form of an Excel Spreadsheet that allows employees to establish your rate of pay under the proposed structure:
See 20 May - Seeking Member Input
Members are asked to then complete the 1-minute survey linked at the bottom of the bulletin, which will close by COB, Friday 24 May 2024. Each Union is responsible for their own memberships' survey details to maintain member privacy.
The nominal expiry date of the 2019 Agreement was 30 June 2023.
Negotiations for a new agreement have been long and tedious.
Sue Riley from our Branch has led our delegation with a number of delegates.
On 4 April 2024, an agreement has been reached in principle.
See the EBA 2024 ESTA Heads of Agreement
An EBA now needs to be drafted with these principles applied.
Note a work calendar for the implementation of the commitments in the
Agreement will be developed during the drafting period.
Member meetings will be held over the next couple of weeks, or alternatively
You can email your Industrial Officer below to advise whether you endorse
the proposal outlined above. Drafting the new Agreement will be concluded by 30th April.
Government departments will officially sign off, then all employees will be required to vote on the new Enterprise Agreement. If the majority vote yes, it will be lodged at the FWC for approval.
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