NBN MEMBER HOOKUP - NBN FIELD ENGINEERS

NBN has been meeting staff with proposals to change your employment contracts. NBN is suggesting that this is a benefit to you.
Our advice: Do not sign any new contract without getting advice.
We have not been briefed on the proposals and will meet with NBN this week to discuss the proposals. Some members have concerns with the proposals and do not understand why a new contract is necessary. One theme is apparent - NBN wants to be able to roster more staff on night and week-end work.
While these shifts attract shift penalties, two issues arise.
First some staff do not want unrestricted night work. Secondly, the work should be overtime, not cheaper shift penalties. We need to work thru this for you.
To join us and your colleagues with this exercise, join out Branch.

NBN HOOK-UP WITH OUR LAWYER - NBN FIELD ENGINEERS

All staff of NBN (whether a member or not - we will not do a roll call) are invited to a Zoom meeting to discuss the NBN proposals to change employment contracts. Our advice: Do not sign any new contract without getting advice.
NBN ZOOM MEETING - WEDNESDAY - 3 APRIL AT 4.30PM.
(See email for links)

TELSTRA EBA - LOG OF CLAIMS

Your Union bargaining representatives met with Telstra again this week, during which Telstra shared further proposed changes:
- Seeking to remove the arrangement where full-time retail employees who could have been scheduled but were not scheduled to work on the public holiday because they work a particular schedule (eg. A 9-day fortnight), currently receives an additional day's pay or day in lieu. Telstra claim the reason for this is because it has very limited applicability to how Telstra stores operate, is complicated to interpret and results in significant administrative burden.
- Simplify the relocation allowance under the Telstra Retail Stores EA to enable payments to be automated. Telstra says this will mean that employees will be eligible to receive an allowance if Telstra relocate them to a store outside a 10km radius from their current store, for up to 3 months. This will also exclude casuals (as is the case today.)
- Telstra also shared its intention to apply the following Telstra Limited EA terms to both Telstra & TPPL employees:
-- Flexible work arrangements
-- Consultation
-- Dispute resolution
-- Union matters
-- Redundancy, placement period and retrenchment benefits
-- Moving between roles
-- Recognition of prior learning
The Union is still waiting for Telstra to present the full implications of this proposal

POST EBA - LOG OF CLAIMS

Bargaining for EBA11 is underway. The first of the two meetings were spent talking through a number of these preliminary claims, with the second of the two focussing on matters affecting the retail occupational group.
CWU will finalise the compilation of our log of claims, which will reflect our members' desires to pursue an Agreement which delivers recognition, respect and job security. Discussions are scheduled to recommence from April 3.

POSTAL LOG OF CLAIMS

The following have been included specifically addressing technical members:
1. Team skills - technical classifications: We are seeking for PTO 6, SMEs and 2ICs in the technical and engineering workgroup to be eligible for team skills.
2. PTO 5 progression. We are seeking for those employees classified as PTO 4 (level 8) for a period of 5 or more years to automatically progress to the PTO 5 designation.
3. Technical apprenticeships. We are seeking a to establish committee to jointly develop a national apprenticeship program to ensure Australia Post can attract, retain and maintain the skills required with regard to the technical and engineering occupational group.

POSTAL LOG ADDITION

Given the difficulties attracting and retaining suitably qualified staff, as well as recognising additional responsibilities following restructures, we are proposing the following. Your comments welcome.
That an extra increment be added to each of the following designations (including Teams and Engineering)
Postal Technical Officer Level 4 (Increment 9) $3,000 above increment 8.
Postal Technical Officer Level 5 (Increment 3) $3,500 above increment 2.
Postal Technical Officer Level 6 (Increment 1) $4,000 above current salary.
Postal Technical Officer Level 7 (Increment 1) $5,000 above current salary.
Postal Technical Officer Level 8 (Increment 1) $5,500 above current salary.
Postal Technical Officer Level 9 (Increment 1) $6,000 above current salary.

TZV (ESTA) EBA

Discussions continue and now have effectively reached a decision point. No agreement has been reached but the differences are now narrow but important. We hope to report more in the following week.

ACTU: SECURING YOUR RIGHTS TO WORK FROM HOME

Last week, in the face of more attacks by big business, union members took a big step in securing your right to work from home.
It was part of 26 recommendations that unions submitted to the Fair Work Commission as part of their review of our work conditions. Sensible changes would reflect workers' needs in their working lives in 2024, and will make work more inclusive for more people.
Our collective voice is strengthened with every new member, so ask a friend to join the movement.
Big business are against workers gaining these new rights - and a key element of their counter-proposal is for employees working from home to have the `flexibility' to work at irregular hours. Of course it's a roundabout way to attack one of the most important rights unionists have won: the 8-hour work day.
And it's particularly tone-deaf in the context of the recent union win of the right to disconnect from work outside regular work hours.
Workers just want to be able to find a better balance between work and home life: it's time for our system of workplace rights to be updated.