Telstra must resume talks now!

Date: 17 September 2008

Workers in Telstra's Wholesale and Service Advantage (Call Centric) divisions have shown great courage in rejecting the company's inadequate non-union job contract.

It's now time for management to respect that decision and the rights of its workers to be represented by unions.

The defeat of the unilateral offer in Wholesale and Service Advantage is a stunning rebuff to management's divide-and-rule strategy.

Telstra workers have been treated very badly by the company's management and it is no wonder they have rejected this non-union job contract.

Employees in the two divisions were denied their right to union representation and subjected to almost every trick in the book by management.

But this small group of workers have been prepared to stand up for their rights against enormous pressure from management to sign up to a job contract that would have entrenched many of the worst aspects of Work Choices for years to come.

They have done this not just for themselves but for all employees. Hyperlink to You can send a message of thanks here.

The company's job contract would have turned new employees into second class workers with reduced entitlements to paid overtime, no guarantees of annual pay rises and reduced redundancy.

The non-negotiable pay offer would also severely curtail employees' rights to meet with union representatives.

By Telstra's own admissions in last week's Federal Court case, it was to be the template for what Telstra has planned to roll out across the rest of its workforce.

Management should take heed from the clear message in this result: drop the Work Choices tactics, improve your pay offer, and return to the negotiating table with unions," Mr Walton said.

Telstra proceeded with the vote despite criticism of the content of its non-union job contract from everyone from the Deputy Prime Minister down.

Both the Australian Industrial Relations Commission and the Federal Court have found serious faults with Telstra's behaviour by not bargaining in good faith, and the terms and conditions in the proposed offer.

Just yesterday, in published reasons for refusing Telstra's attempt to gag unions, Justice Sundberg of the Federal Court found that the proposed employee collective agreements restrict right of entry, cut pacesetting pay rates and provide inferior conditions for new employees.

Management spent tens of thousands of dollars to apply the pressure on these workers to agree to the deal, including a threat to freeze their pay for 12 months. In doing so, they have caused immeasurable damage to the relationship with staff.

Following this result, it's clear that the current offer from Telstra will be rejected by the rest of the workforce. It's also imperative that legislation to abolish Work Choices is introduced very soon, and is supported by the Senate.

It's time to move forward from this divisive dispute.

Unions are ready to help management rebuild a co-operative relationship with the Telstra workforce but only if management abandons its Work Choices tactics and respects workers' rights to collective bargaining and union representation.

Unions will write to management today asking Telstra to take part in immediate discussions.

For further information

Union:	Your Rights at Telstra
Email:	Telstra@actu.asn.au
WWW:	http://yourrightsattelstra.com/

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