NBN SHEQSY MONITORING OF STAFF

Last week we raised questions about the new personal monitoring device. It now is clearly a personal tracking device dressed up as a panic button. It needs a phone. Dialling 000 would be quicker. NBN responded and we set out the response below. However, we have new questions and will follow up this week.

SHEQSY DURESS ALARM APPLICATION AND DEVICE QUESTIONS ARISING

Send me your other questions. These are my questions to be submitted:
1. Is the worker monitored by a third party security centre (eg SHEQSY) as well, or at various times?
2. As NBN workers can work at any time of day, who monitors the situation outside normal working hours?
3. Will NBN use the check in feature such as the activity countdown features?
4. The SHEQSY web page advises that the device allows monitoring of employees in real time. We assume that facility is available to the Team Leaders to track staff if they wish?
5. The web page advises that the device can report on workers' activities. Can we have an example?
6. Can the device access the Camera and Microphone when the panic button is pressed?
7. Is NBN using all options or just easing some in initially before turning on all options?

SHEQSY DURESS ALARM APPLICATION AND DEVICE RESPONSE

Advice from NBN:

This application and device is aimed at enhancing the safety and security of our frontline field workers. It provides a reliable, timely, and discreet way for our team members to signal for help if they find themselves under duress and away from their vehicle. In short, the device is a duress alarm in the event our team members are isolated and need urgent assistance.

key Features:
Enhanced Safety: The primary benefit is the significant enhancement of safety for field workers.
Timely Assistance: The ability to send timely and discreet notifications ensures that assistance can be provided quickly in emergency situations, potentially preventing serious incidents.
Improved Communication: The device facilitates better communication between field workers and their support teams, ensuring that any issues can be addressed promptly and effectively.

Response to (T&S Branch) Union questions:

Q1 What is the measure and how does it work?
Technician's latitude and longitude is tracked within the application; however this data is only to be used when a technician trigger's the 'panic button' on the duress alarm. This is to allow visibility of where a technician is located in case either nbn support or emergency services are required onsite.

Q2 What data was used to justify its introduction?
Since April 2019, there have been 1,125 reports of verbal abuse, threats of violence, or physical violence against technicians.
In August 2023, an incident occurred where a female technician was subjected to inappropriate comments and behaviour from a customer while working on-site. The investigation highlighted a gap in safety measures and recommended the introduction of personal duress alarms to mitigate such risks.
Following this, there have been two additional serious incidents prior to implementing the alarms:
1. A female technician faced inappropriate and threatening behaviour from a customer and was in a vulnerable situation while working alone completing a customer install.
2. A technician slipped, hit their head, and became disoriented while working alone in a Telstra exchange, delaying their ability to call for help and receive timely medical assistance.
The prevalence of aggressive and threatening behaviour and need for technicians to regularly work in isolated locations has led to the introduction of duress alarms to enable our technicians to quickly, easily and discreetly notify others and call for assistance if they find themselves under duress.

Q3 Can we turn it off at the end of day?
Yes, when a technician has gone offline at the end of their shift and exited from the app, it will be turned off. The tracking and button require a technician to 'go online' within the app for it to function.

Q4 Can the app access the microphone and camera?
No.

Q5 What will be tracked and why?
Outlined above at Question 1.

Q6 What privacy protections are there?
Access to location data has been restricted to the following:
Team managers (FAM's) have access to view their teams.
Region Safety & Quality Leads, Region GM's and RAM's have access to view their respective teams.
SERC Teams have access to Triage any panic alarm triggers.
Clear expectations have been outlined in both work instructions and enablement packs/readiness sessions to ensure data is not misused.

An addition to the above:
An initial trial was conducted with several devices, with this solution being the recommended option for rollout. This product is currently being used by one of our industry partners.
We currently have a vehicle duress alarm that is used for a similar function, however a gap was identified where a technician is unable to discreetly call for help when under duress if away from their vehicle.

Next Steps
Between now and 28 November, all frontline field workers will be progressively onboarded onto the SHEQSY Duress Alarm mobile application and equipped with a Bluetooth button device for individuals to carry.

TELSTRA CFW5 JOB DESCRIPTION CASE WHY THE REVIEW?

This is not a review of the Job Descriptions. Telstra has been found to have underpaid our member for many years. He was not correctly classified. The union movement calls this "wage theft". The FW Act provides for penalties for underpaying workers. The penalties for systemic breaches can reach millions of dollars.
So any responsible employer will be acting prudently if it audited their workers' salaries to ensure that they are paying the correct salaries.
Given the Court finding, there are clearly other workers in the same position as our member. These workers are entitled to be reclassified and back paid (for 6 years if applicable, and entitled to interest). Our Branch the is well qualified to advise and pursue these claims as we ran the successful case.
Telstra needs to be in a position to demonstrate to the authorities that they acted to correct any underpayments now that they have been found to have not applied the job descriptions correctly.
Yes there needs to be a review of the job descriptions, but that will not change the right of workers to be paid correctly now, and for the past years.

TELSTRA REVIEWING JOBS

Email from Telstra to technical staff:
Hi all, From today we will be running a consultation process to support the current Field Services Core Jobs Description review. In doing this, it will enable us to accelerate the current review of EA CFW Core Job Descriptions and hear directly from our people to ensure we are capturing the work you do every day.
For background, we commenced the CFW core job description review with the CEPU in late 2023 and, despite our best intentions, it has taken some time to progress. One of the biggest challenges is the sheer variety of work we do across Field Services and all the different ways we describe it in the Core Job Descriptions. As a result, we will undertake a wider consultation across our Field teams to ensure we set out simply and clearly the work we do in Field Services.
The consultation process is open to all of our frontline Field team members including the managers of these teams and we welcome your input, feedback and suggestions to ensure the work you do is appropriately represented in the work descriptions we are seeking to update. This will enable us to gather your inputs, provide transparency to the process and ensure that our discussions when meeting with the CEPU have our people represented.
We'll be engaging with you through an online survey. To take part, please click through to our Work Type Feedback Survey. You will be asked to review and provide feedback on the current 'work type' descriptions for common functions delivered by our Field teams.
You'll notice that these descriptions initially reflect the terminology and tasks currently described under the Core Job Descriptions and our success profiles. These descriptors will evolve as we gain a deeper insight into the work you perform today, and we'll continue to engage and seek feedback from you throughout this process.
Instructions on how to use the tool are found on the App frontpage. We ask that you complete this fairly and where you respond "I disagree" you will be required to provide some commentary so we can better understand your position and feedback.
This feedback will guide the Core Job Description review and discussions with the CEPU and the consultation period will remain open until further notice. As previously shared, any changes to the Core Job Descriptions requires agreement between Telstra and the CEPU.
I encourage you to have your say and provide feedback and thank you for your engagement in the process. Best wishes, Beba

MORE FROM TELSTRA ON COURT CASE

Email from Telstra to technical staff: We are writing to update you on recent developments regarding the CFW Core Jobs Review, particularly in light of the recent Union victory in the Melbourne Magistrates Court concerning a classification dispute.
As previously reported, the Union recently succeeded in a case against Telstra in the Melbourne Magistrates Court, where the Court found that Telstra had misclassified a member who was working as a Fibre Technician under CFW 4, when the work they were performing more accurately aligned with CFW 5.
Telstra has now confirmed that they will not appeal the decision. While this ruling specifically applies to the individual member involved, its implications are broad. Other employees performing similar duties on the fibre network may also warrant individual reviews, depending on the specific tasks they perform. The Union is open to pursuing these claims as they arise, separate from the ongoing broader CFW Core Jobs review.
To date the CFW Core Jobs Review process has unfortunately been slow and cumbersome, however, the recent court decision has reinvigorated the need to address this issue in a more timely and efficient manner. The current CFW Core Job Descriptions were developed over 20 years ago, and it is necessary that they are updated to accurately describe the work being done today, using modern technology and practices. However, the Union's position is clear: any changes to job descriptions or classifications must be carried out through a transparent and fair process, with direct input from you, the workforce. All revisions must be agreed upon by the Union and be in line with our collective agreement (EBA).
The Union and Telstra have agreed to collaborate on a formal feedback process to gain a clearer understanding of the different duties performed by employees, as well as the classifications currently assigned to those roles. We believe this approach will ensure the review is based on accurate, up-to-date information and will help move the process forward in a fair and effective manner.
The Union has made it clear that this consultation process must be meaningful, inclusive, and genuine. We will be closely monitoring this process to ensure that all Field Services employees have the opportunity to provide real feedback.

WINNING IS NOT ALL ABOUT STRIKES - UNI

"Amazon is raising pay because unions are gaining ground, but a one-time wage bump won't solve the company's deep-rooted problems. While Amazon constantly pushes for speed, this pay package is, as unions say, too little, too late. Workers have earned this increaseand much more. That's why they'll continue to fight against Amazon's gruelling conditions: punishing quotas, constant surveillance and injury-inducing workloads. Workers know only a union can deliver real, lasting protections. And history shows that they won't stop until they win," said Christy Hoffman, General Secretary of UNI Global Union.
UNI Global Union represents over 20 million workers from more than 150 countries in the services sector. It works to advance workers' rights and conditions worldwide through organizing, collective action and collective bargaining. (UNI Global Union)

AMAZON BACKGROUND:

Amazon's performance monitoring system makes its workers feel "stressed, pressured, anxious, like a slave, robot and untrusted," according to an international study of Amazon employees in major markets for UNI Global Unionthe first ever of its kind. Over half of Amazon workers surveyed say Amazon's monitoring systems have had a negative impact on their health (51%) and their mental health (57%).
The study, commissioned by UNI Global Union and carried out by Jarrow Insights collected 2,000 responses from self-identified Amazon warehouse workers, drivers and office workers from 8 countries, including the United States, United Kingdom, Italy, France, Germany, Poland, Spain and Australia.
"Amazon cannot look the other way when workers all over the world are saying that going to work is making them feel sick and anxious," said Christy Hoffman, General Secretary of UNI Global Union. "This corporation has the data and resources to make their workplaces safer, they are just choosing to ignore workers who want a voice to make their jobs better and proven solutions like union health and safety committees."
Key findings:
Over 57% of responders say Amazon's monitoring has had a negative impact in their mental health.
Over 51% say Amazon's monitoring system has a negative impact in their overall health.
59% of workers feel that Amazon's monitoring is excessive.
53% fear losing their jobs due to Amazon's monitoring technologies,
78% of delivery drivers feel that Amazon's targets are either difficult or very difficult to achieve.
58% said Amazon doesn't clearly explain how it uses the data it collects on workers.
65.7% of drivers, in particular, reported a negative impact on their physical health stemming from productivity monitoring.
(UNI Global Union)