Updated Authorised Telstra Protected Action

Ref: SLD 19/20 – 8 March 2019

All Telstra Members
ON EBA (Expired AWA,ITEA),
UPDATED AUTHORISED TELSTRA PROTECTED ACTION

1) BAN ON DUTIES REQUIRED TO BE UNDERTAKEN BY EMPLOYEES DURING UNPAID TIME
Members are advised that this ban has been WITHDRAWN due to Telstra’s threat on docking pay for refusing to log on in unpaid hours.

By way of explanation, the threat from Telstra to “not require” ie “stand down”  field staff as a result of this out of hours “log on” ban (if they failed to Log On) was as a result of Telstra’s individually emailed formal “Notice” to these staff, which is a legal tool to deal with their view that this is a “partial industrial action ban”, and allows them to not pay staff (even though they were willing to work in paid time). As a result of Telstra’s escalation of the dispute, it was decided by the Union that a better strategy would be to immediately notify of Ban 4, which essentially is response to this provocation.

2) BAN ON PERFORMANCE OF ESSENTIAL CUSTOMER SERVICING WORK (ongoing)
Members are directed NOT to accept recalls under “essential customer servicing” “ie the three levels of restriction”.This means, if you are listed on a recall roster or “on call”, or “emergent call” or “immediate call” you are directed NOT to attend to any duties associated with these arrangements:

• Do not attend to recalls
• Do not respond to recall requests
• Do not attend remotely to any duties (including telephone advice, or accessing Telstra’s systems or emails from home)

Note: This action does not include 000 call centre staff, and this action does not apply where there is a threat to life or the safety of customers (ie. commonly known as life and limb exemptions).  Contact the Branch Office if there is a management request to override the bans on life and limb grounds.

3) BAN ON PERFORMANCE OF EMERGENCY WORK (ongoing)
Members are directed NOT to accept recalls under “emergency work” provisions.This means, if you receive a recall for emergency work, (that is – you were not on an essential customer servicing arrangement and you were not notified prior to ceasing work), you are directed NOT to attend to that work – including any remote activities such as telephone advice.

Note: This action does not include 000 call centre staff, and this action does not apply where there is a threat to life or the safety of customers (ie. commonly known as life and limb exemptions).  Contact the Branch Office if there is a management request to override the bans on life and limb grounds.

4)  24HR STOPPAGE – TUESDAY 12 MARCH 2019
Due to the escalation of the dispute by Telstra relating to the unpaid time logon bans (Ban1), members are directed TO STOP WORK for 24 hours for the whole of Tuesday 12 March.

5)  BAN ON ADDITIONAL HOURS (overtime) BOTH SCHEDULED AND UNSCHEDULED (ongoing)
Members are directed not to engage in additional hours (overtime) both scheduled and unscheduled. This covers all forms of additional hours, including on weekends and RDO’s, commencing from Wednesday 13 March at 1201 am.

Note: This action does not include 000 call centre staff, and also does not apply where there is a threat to life or the safety of customers (ie. commonly known as life and limb exemptions).  Contact the Branch Office if there is a management request to override the bans on life and limb grounds.

In solidarity,

IMPORTANT NOTICE – PLEASE READ

TO TAKE PART IN PROTECTED INDUSTRIAL ACTION, YOU MUST BE:
1) Currently employed by Telstra and within the scope of the proposed Enterprise Agreement; and
2) A current member of the CEPU/CWU – if you are not a member, you can join prior to action commencing by contacting your Branch or the T&S Victorian website (cwuvic.org.au).

TO ENSURE THAT THE ACTION YOU ARE PARTICIPATING IN IS LEGAL AND PROTECTED:
Ensure you are following only the action which the Union has authorised. If you require further clarification on any of the abovementioned notified actions, please contact your Branch Official immediately.

YOU ARE NOT REQUIRED TO PROVIDE PRIOR NOTICE TO TELSTRA OR ANY MANAGEMENT REPRESENTATIVE OF YOUR INTENTIONS TO ENGAGE IN PROTECTED INDUSTRIAL ACTION:
You are not required to provide any notice of your intentions to engage in the abovementioned protected action. Appropriate notification as required under legislation has been provided to Telstra by the Union

IGNORE ANY INDUSTRIAL ACTION NOTICES FROM MANAGEMENT:
Members are advised to ignore any notice NOT authorised by the CEPU. The CEPU will inform members directly through circulars, emails or, text messages and local reps/delegates of what action they are required to participate in. IGNORE any directions or notices to participate, or not, in industrial action from any other sources including management.

Members are to contact their Union immediately if any management representative threatens your employment in any way for taking part in Protected Industrial Action authorised by your Union.