TZV BACKPAY PROPOSAL RIDICULOUS

TZV have issued a timetable for payment of various increases under the Ops EBA. We wrote to them seeking details of the dates for the payments including backpay. On Friday TZV replied and issued a memo to staff at the same time. Members have reacted angrily to the paragraph re taking up to 6 months to complete backpay:
The backpay component of that first wage increase that is the 3% that is to be applied to any changes to the base rate of pay and the backdated implementation of the new classification structure, which includes multiple increases arising from increment increases, and uplift increases for certain classifications, will take up to six months to complete.
These increases are required to be made manually, due to functionality constraints of the existing payroll system. The system is unable to automatically calculate multiple increases against an employee's pay code.
We have convened a meeting of unions on Monday afternoon to discuss our response.

TZV BACKPAY

Beside the issue above, TZV advised of these dates arising from the TZV Operations Enterprise Agreement 2024
- the $5,553 sign-on payment will be paid in the period ending 7 Feb
- from 25 Jan 2025, employees will be paid according to the new classification structure ECO level salaries, including the 3% increase.
- The one-off payment of $2,000 to multiskilled workers as defined in Schedule 1. Clause 2.2.4, will be paid in the pay period ending 21 Feb
- The one-off payment of $1,000 for recognition of 20 years of service will be paid in the pay period ending 21 Feb
- The second 3% payable will be paid on the pay period ending 18 Apr 2025

OPTUS SHIFT HANDOVER

The matter will be the subject of conciliation in the NSW IRC this Tuesday. The Court will seek to find an agreement between the parties to settle the matter.

D&AI PROPOSAL - ACCENTURE

Following a meeting of some members this week, we wrote to Telstra seeking more information. We asked:
1. You advised that the JV will be bound by the Telstra EBA so new staff will be on the same conditions. How will the JV become bound by the Telstra EBA?
2. After 7 years, we were advised that Telstra will offer re-employment with Telstra. Can we see the document/contract/deed that will bind Telstra to that offer.
3. Assuming that the JV employment offers have the same remuneration as now, will there be a sign on bonus or other incentive to sign up?

NBN EBA STILL NOT AGREED

We met again this week to negotiate further the EBA. Several issues are contested.
- Clause 18 (Overtime, call-out, rest periods) is bewildering and is made even worse by "business rules" that remain elusive. We have asked for a copy of the business rules. TZV is trying a new clause.
- Higher Duties are not agreed. TZV want HDA to apply if more than one day in length, and inserted a clause to say that. (The current clause is silent on the position where it is one day exactly.)
- We object to the use of the words in clause 20.5(c) which deems that you "agree" to take unpaid leave if you have not accrued sufficient leave to cover part or all of the close-down.
- TZV say that after the EBA is certified, it plans a review on Clause 18. In our view, it needs to be resolved now as the current words, business rules and interpretation results in unfair outcomes.

NBN EBA VOTE?

Despite the ongoing discussions NBN wants to rush to a vote and is suggesting that the Access period commence this week. The Access period is the time when you must have a copy of the EBA and explanations of its effects. This will be followed by a one week voting opportunity. At this stage, and given the pay offer, we cannot support a yes vote,

TELSTRA FIBRE WORKERS UPGRADINGS

Our win in the Optical Fibre case has triggered a general review of Fibre (and other) classifications. Telstra has advised that, notwithstanding the work on new Job Descriptions, it has reviewed a number of jobs and approved upgradings. We have sought details and Telstra agreed to provide some to us.
Members should not sign any agreements to upgradings without getting advice, as significant backpay may be involved. If you have been doing significant overtime and you have been doing the higher level work for 6 years, the backpay sum (on our estimates) is in the order of $100,000.
The Optical Fibre Court case will conclude in about 3 weeks time (26 Feb hearing on penalty). We will then begin assessing other member's claims, backpay etc and where appropriate, we will take it up with Telstra.

TELSTRA CORE JOBS REVIEW

As part of the ongoing Core Job Review consultation process, Telstra has proposed amended job descriptions for the CFW4, CFW5, and CFW7 roles. We have had no input into these new Job Descriptions.
The existing job descriptions remain in effect and are legally binding. They define classification structures and pay rates and cannot be changed without union agreement.
This is an important condition and you can be assured that we are not going to agree to any changes that are detrimental to your current grading or dilute the effect of the Optical Fibre Court Case.

TELSTRA PURPLE

Telstra has advised of several redundancies in Telstra Purple. They have voluntary redundancies as well. If you have any concerns, please contact us.

PENALTY RATES ATTACK - ACTU

The ACTU warns that proposals by Australia's largest retailers to abolish penalty rates and cut minimum conditions for supermarket employees risks hurting some of Australia's lowest-paid workers and sets a precedent for other employers to do the same. Coles and Woolworths have joined forces with Kmart and Costco to publicly back the Australian Retailers Association's application in the FWC to scrap overtime, evening and weekend penalty rates, work breaks, and reduce rest times between shifts from 12 hours to 10 hours.
The ARA is proposing that any worker earning $53,670 and above on the retail award would lose their penalty rates, overtime, annual leave loading, allowances, breaks and protections around hours of work in exchange for a 25% increase to buy-out award safeguards.
Woolworth and Coles are seeking to tear up the rules around working hours that saw them underpay workers by $500 million, citing rostering restrictions as part of the reason for the underpayments. The retail industry made over $7 billion in profits as of Sep 2024.