Ref: SLD 09/404
4 November 2009
CEPU (Communications Electrical Plumbing Union)
Communications Division representing Telstra,
Australia Post, Optus and other communications
sector employees.
CEPU Communications Division, Telecommunications and Services Branch, Victoria, 1st Floor,
139 Queensberry Street, Carlton South VIC 3053 Ph: 03 9349 4411 Fax: 03 9349 3488
E-mail: cdtsvic@victs.cepu.asn.au Website: www.cepuconnects.org www.cepu.net.au
TELSTRA SHORT CHANGES ITS WORKFORCE - WORKERS
DECIDE TO STRIKE AGAIN
Telstra workers across the country have again voted overwhelmingly to recommence
industrial action as negotiations for a new EBA have reached a stalemate.
Telstra management is pursuing a deliberate strategy of dividing its workforce, in
order to further its ambition to pay them less, reduce their rights and profit at the
expense of the employees that deliver Telstra’s profit. In short Telstra do not want to
give up WorkChoices and they don’t care how damaging that strategy is to
shareholder value.
Telstra are attempting to punish employees who choose a union negotiated
agreement by offering less pay, and they
have concocted a means of getting around
the Federal Governments laws by forcing many employees to remain on the non
negotiated pay arrangements established via the Howard Governments individual
contracts (AWA's).
As a result, and despite four months of
negotiations, Telstra workers have taken a
decision to return to strike action to secure a fair agreement. The industrial action will
commence on Friday this week and will be ongoing.
Unfortunately the strikes and other industrial action will disrupt the
provision of
maintenance and installation of high tech services, communication systems, internet
and computer services, particularly for the large corporate and large government
customers, and may also impact the telephone and data network transmission
systems throughout Australia. This comes at a time when Telstra continue to record
levels of complaints to the Telecommunications Industry Ombudsman. Shareholders
should ask David Thodey how he intends to deliver on his undertakings to the TIO
that service will improve at Telstra and they intend to stop exposing the shareholders
to multi millions of dollars worth of fines.
"Whilst Telstra management will be using it's annual share holders meeting to try to
divert shareholders from criticising management's abysmal handling of Telstra's
disastrous campaign and bid to secure the National Broadband contract, and blame
the Federal Government for the terrible position it finds itself in, at the same time it is
waging war on it's employees by offering only a pathetic pay rise over three years,
and refusing to allow it's employees to have access to arbitration for fair treatment"
says Len Cooper, Communications Division President of the CEPU.
The new leadership of Telstra needs to stop whingeing about it's current position and
start knuckling down to negotiating a decent deal with the Federal Government which
MEDIA RELEASE
protects jobs and working conditions for it's employees and not just shareholder
value, and it needs to demonstrate that there has been real change at the top finally
settling the long running injustices practiced against it's workforce says Len Cooper.
Telstra management are the architects of all of the problems the company finds itself
in, yet they refuse to take any responsibility, rather they make shareholders,
employees and customers pay for their mammoth strategy failings.
Authorised by and further enquiries to:
LEN COOPER
National President
Communications Division
Branch Secretary
Communications Union (CEPU)
M. 0438 389 302
B. 03 9349 4411
Ahs: 9330 2668
NEWS 
