TELSTRA JOB DESCRIPTION NEGOTIATIONS

The negotiations continue and no agreement has been reached. It is clear that it will take some time to resolve. The old JDs remain the law, and cannot be changed without CEPU approval. Telstra has a view about what it wants in the new JDs, but at this stage nothing has changed.

NBN SOD CASE

Our case is currently being conciliated. It will continue this week. There has been no reportable progress to date.

TZV MECS REVIEW

MECS members have been advised of a Zoom meeting on Monday to discuss outstanding issues. We were advised that all MECS submitted an EOI and that all of their first preference. Several opted for redundancy and these vacancies in the new structure will be back filled.

OPTUS REDUNDANCIES

Optus has advised on a number of potential redundancies. The roles that are affected by these changes are from: Information Technology, Finance, Networks, Enterprise & Business and Chief Operating Office. Overall, there are 29 roles affected which span across New South Wales (26), Queensland (2), and South Australia (1). Please contact us if you have any issues.

OPTUS RECORD FINE

The consumer watchdog and Optus have agreed the telco should pay a $100 million penalty, after it admitted to inappropriate sales practices and misconduct. More than 400 customers, many vulnerable or experiencing disadvantage, were sold phones or signed up to contracts they did not want or need, or couldn't afford or use. The Federal Court will need to approve the penalty and orders on customer compensation and the way sales staff are paid.

OPTUS APOLOGY

An apology from Optus CEO Stephen Rue:

I want to sincerely apologise to the customers who were affected by this misconduct. The way these customers were treated many of whom were vulnerable or experiencing disadvantage was simply not acceptable. It should never have happened. We failed these customers, and for that, I am deeply sorry.
The conduct fell far short of the standards our customers rightfully expect and deserve. We are currently remediating affected customers and have sought input from financial counsellors and independent experts to make sure our approach is fair and reasonable.
We have already made significant changes across our business to address what went wrong. This includes making changes to the systems and processes that allowed this behaviour to happen and this work is continuing. We know there is much more to do, and we will have our actions tracked through regular independent audits to ensure that the changes are not just implemented but embedded.
I want to be clear: this is about taking full responsibility and doing what is right. I am determined that we learn from what has happened and that our entire business works together to better support and protect our customers, especially those who are vulnerable. This means holding ourselves to a higher standard and treating every person with care, respect and integrity.
We are determined to earn back trust. That starts with listening and continues with action every day.