Communications, Electrical, Electronic, Energy, Information, Postal, Plumbing and Allied Services Union of Australia

 

    ELECTION NOTICE

 Fair Work (Registered Organisations) Act 2009

 

The Australian Electoral Commission is to conduct elections for offices in the Communications, Electrical, Electronic, Energy, Information, Postal, Plumbing and Allied Services Union of Australia.

COMMUNICATIONS DIVISION

Nominations are called for:

 Divisional Offices

 New South Wales Postal and Telecommunications Branch

 New South Wales Telecommunications and Services Branch

 Victoria Postal and Telecommunications Branch

 Victoria Telecommunications and Services Branch

 Queensland Communications Divisional Branch

 South Australia and Northern Territory Communications Branch

Western Australia Communications Branch

 Tasmania Communications Branch

 

Notices calling for nominations will appear on the websites of the Australian Electoral Commission (www.aec.gov.au) and the Union (www.cepu.asn.au) from 18 April 2011.

 

A copy of the election notice and nomination form is available upon request from any of the Returning Officers listed below or the Branch Offices of the Union.

 

Intending candidates should consult the Union’s rules for eligibility requirements.

 

Nominations will open on 18 April 2011 and close at 12 noon (local time) on Wednesday 11 May 2011.

 

The ballot, if required, will open on 15 June 2011 and close at 12 noon (local time) on Wednesday 13 July 2011. Changed address? Advise the union now.

 

Note: Copies of the AEC’s election reports can be obtained from the organisation or the Returning Officer after the completion of the election.

 

Returning Officers: 

Lee Jones                    New South Wales                    02 9375 6361

Danielle Paterson        Victoria                                     03 9285 7146

Cameron Stokes         Queensland                              07 3413 0402

Peter Verkerk               South Australia / NT                 08 8131 0127

Carl Binning                  Western Australia                    08 9309 3975

Michael Horwood          Tasmania                                 03 6235 0509

 

Authorised by Danielle Paterson

Melbourne
 

18 April 2011

Victoria Postal and Telecommunications Branch

Returning Officer – Danielle Paterson

 

Branch President

Branch Secretary

Branch Organiser (3)

Branch Vice President (2)

 

Postal Industry Section

Divisional Executive Member

Branch Committee of Management Member (8)

Divisional Conference Delegate (3)

 

Lines and General Industry Section

Divisional Executive Member

Branch Committee of Management Member (3)

Divisional Conference Delegate

Divisional Offices

Returning Officer – Danielle Paterson

 

Divisional President

Divisional Secretary

Divisional Assistant Secretary (Postal)

Divisional Assistant Secretary (Telecommunications)

Divisional Vice President

Divisional Vice President (Affirmative Action)

After many months of negotiations the CWU has reached an agreement with Decipha, resulting in a proposed Enterprise Bargaining Agreement (EBA) that protects members’ job security, rights at work and allows for increases in take home pay.

The proposed Agreement is for a two year period commencing 1 July 2011 with two wage increases, each of 3.3%, with the first on 1 July 2011 and the second on July 2012.

Further workplace rights and safety that are protected by the new proposed EBA include;

• Changes to allowances provisions (including travel and forklift);

• Public holidays, and guarantees of additional gazetted holidays;

• Higher standards in order to ensure compliance with the National Employment Standards; and

• Access to cashing out of annual leave.

The proposed EBA will be distributed to employees shortly and the CWU is encouraging members to VOTE YES – for an EBA that protects your job security, rights at work and take home pay.

The CWU has made representations to Telstra following the death of a Tasmanian employee while on duty.

Donna Gunn, a CWU member, died in a collision with a logging truck while travelling between Hobart and Launceston to attend a Telstra team meeting.

The accident is the subject of a police investigation and coronial inquiry. Comcare has also been notified of the event. It is to be hoped that these bodies will be able to shed light on the circumstances that led to Ms Gunn’s death.

However the CWU understands that weather conditions were poor at the time and that Ms Gunn had needed to make an early morning start in the dark to attend the meeting. The union has queried whether it was appropriate for Ms Gunn to be required to travel in these circumstances.

At the same time, the secretary of the CWU’s Tasmanian branch has taken steps to seek assistance for Ms Gunn’s next of kin in relation to possible workers’ compensation and journey cover claims. The CWU took steps to provide journey cover insurance for its members after legal changes introduced by the Howard Government abolished this cover.

The CWU extends its condolences to members of Ms Gunn’s family. Members will be kept informed of developments in the case.

The National Transport Consultative Forum meets next week with representatives from Australia Post and CWU State Branches.

Matters the CWU representatives have put on the agenda for discussion include:

• Transport Structure Review

• Heavy Vehicle Speeding and Work Hours Policy

• Clarification of roles of different groups within Australia Post providing transport services.

In particular the removal of drivers from driving duties and the potential for loss of pay under the new Post Heavy Vehicle Speeding and Work Hours Policy is an issue the union is keen to raise again with Australia Post.

The CWU has been given the go-ahead by the Federal Magistrates Court to pursue Telstra over what the union believes is a breach of the right of entry provisions of the Fair Work Act.

The issues surrounding the CWU’s attempts to enter Telstra’s Burwood Teleworking centre last year will be familiar to E-bulletin readers. The union sought to enter the premises to investigate a suspected breach of the award in the form of employees being obliged to work unpaid overtime.

The difficulties which the CWU experienced getting access to these employees are now the subject of the proceedings that the CWU has initiated against Telstra.

But as could be expected, Telstra tried to have the case thrown out before it was heard, lodging an application in February this year that it be dismissed.

The Federal Magistrates Court has now rejected Telstra’s application.

Federal Magistrate Turner found that it was arguable that Telstra’s actions did constitute a denial of right of entry and that it was not the case that the CEPU had no reasonable chance of success if the matter went to trial.

So this round goes to the CWU. The question of whether Telstra did or did not breach the Fair Work Act will not be heard for some time longer, probably not until next year.

Meanwhile, the CWU will continue to pursue Telstra over the issue of unpaid overtime.

WA posties questioned Australia Post management in a recent State Consultative Committee meeting about a proposal for team leaders to perform minor maintenance on motorcycles. It seems that team leaders will
be required to perform maintenance tasks, such as adjust/ change chains and brakes on Post motorcycles.

Quite rightly both the posties and team leaders are concerned this action will cause more problems than it is worth.

What happens, for instance, when there is a disagreement between the postie and the team leader about the need for minor maintenance? What happens if the team leader adjusts something on the motorcycle and the postie has an accident that is directly attributable to the adjustment performed by the team leader? Who is responsible Australia Post or the team leader? What affect will this type of occurrence have on the relationship between the team leader and the postie? How does such a proposal sit with Australia Post’s obligations under OHS legislation to ensure safety of its employees, to properly maintain equipment and so on?

Clearly maintenance on motorcycles should be carried out by qualified mechanics who have been properly trained to do this work and not untrained team leaders.

Service Stream has been awarded a contract to operate a call centre that will field queries from the public about NBN Co activities and services.

As a wholesale-only company, NBN Co will not sell services directly to members of the public. Its customers will be retail services providers and other access seekers such as the electricity, gas and water utilities.

But is has become apparent that members of the public will be expecting to have some way of contacting NBN Co directly at least during the early stages of the project as the network is being rolled-out. The call centre will meet this information need.

The CWU is currently engaged in discussions with Service Stream about wages and conditions in its existing call centres which service, among other customers, the Australian Media and Communications Authority (ACMA) and the Commonwealth Department of Broadband Communications and the Digital Economy (DBCDE).

These negotiations are now being extended to include Service Stream’s NBN-related operations.

Rostered Days Off (RDOs) or 9 day fortnight arrangements are being trialled in Australia Post call centres. In Queensland the roll-out of RDOs is across the Inbound Teams in Consumer, Business and International area to date. The situation is similar in Victoria.

Basically RDOs enable employees to work a reduced number of attendances over a cycle of weeks. The CWU supports the introduction of RDOs because they can assist employees to better balance work and family commitments. Both the CWU Qld and Vic branches have contacted Post call centre management and members to ensure that the trial is being conducted fairly, that employees who do not wish to participate are not required to do so and that members in other areas in the call centre will be able to avail of RDOs as well. As a result RDOs are expected to be rolled out across other teams in the call centre shortly.

It is worth noting that where a public holiday falls on an RDO employees affected should be given a day off in lieu, either in the current fortnight or the following period.

Optus has notified the CWU of redundancies arising from consolidation of its after sales service centres.

The company is closing its centre in Victoria and Queensland and centralising this function in New South Wales.

Optus says that the move is a response to market changes, including the growth of smart phones and a related move by suppliers to encourage the swapping rather than repairing of handsets. Customer demand for constant mobile access is reinforcing this trend – people simply don’t want to be without their mobile phone for any significant period of time.

As a result, after sales care is becoming a less technical and more administrative function. The increasing demand for warranties and insurance is adding to this trend.

It is expected that some 35 employees will be affected by the decision. Any CWU members in this position should contact their state branch to clarify their entitlements, including the right to CWU representation at any future meetings with management about their options.

The Australian workforce is growing larger, according to data recently released – and union membership is growing with it.

The latest Australian Bureau of Statistics figures show half a million new employees were added to the private sector across Australia during the 12 month period to August 2010, with union membership figures keeping pace with the growth.

Private sector union membership remained steady at 13.8%, with an increase in raw numbers of 73,000.

ACTU Secretary Jeff Lawrence said uncertainty for Australian workers across a range of sectors meant belonging to a union was more important than ever before.

“Australian workers face continued uncertainty in the times ahead with structural changes to the economy and workforce as a whole,” he said.

He said the importance of workplace representation was reinforced by figures showing that union members earned on average 12% more than non-members. That equates to about $124 a week.

“But union membership is about more than just protecting the income of workers; it is essential to ensure the protection of workers’ rights, their safety and their quality of life.”

“The reality is unions get results.”

The Victorian Communication Workers Union P&T Branch
              has moved to the Federal Office.

                        Our new address:
                              1st Floor
               139 Queensberry Street, Carlton.
                                            Other contact details remain the same.

                                                              Our phone: