CEPU Media Release 23/2/10
CEPU Media Release 23/2/10
Public Rally To Be Held Outside Telstra HQ In Stirling St Perth
Tomorrow Thurs 25.02.10 At 10am.
150 WA construction workers employed by Telstra and represented by the CEPU have again voted to undertake stoppages in their bid to end discrimination against union members employed in Telstra.
This action will follow up from previous industrial action last week which was withdrawn after a three day stoppage due to a technical issue with notices supplied to Telstra. The Technical issues around notices have been resolved through Fair Work Australia and Telstra have been notified of industrial action beginning this week. CEPU members employed by Telstra’s construction division will rally outside Telstra Head Quarters joined by other concerned unions
and members of the public Thurs the 25.02.10 at 10am. Members have voted to undertake further stoppages that will halt all construction projects across Western Australia. The stoppages will bring to a halt already delayed projects due to action taken by WA Telstra workers prior to Christmas. The action will stop all mobile, wideband (Optic Fibre), data expansion and halt Telstra’s own transformation to ethernet platform across the state of Western Australia. The stoppages will cause major financial and logistical problems for Telstra. Corporate customers in the mining, oil & gas and community sector particularly in the Pilbara, Gascoyne and Kimberley regions can expect delays to key projects. Further Public rallies will be held this Thursday in all other states of Australia. Stoppages will begin nationally in their respective construction divisions as part of a national campaign to reach a fair agreement for the CEPU’s 7000+ members across the country.
CEPU Organiser John O’Donnell says: “members have grown tired of 18 months of on and off again negotiations with one of Australia’s largest employers. Telstra refuses to match the pay offer granted to non union negotiated agreement employees prior to the introduction of the Fair Work Act (12.5% over three years backpaid from as late as March last year to Sept 2008) . Telstra is offering the CEPU’s 7000+ members across Australia 10% over three years with no back pay. ” In real terms the CEPU members working in the same or similar roles are already approximately $14,000.00pa behind the non union negotiated agreement employees. Telstra have continuously blamed the global financial crisis for not treating all employees equally. “This is blatant discrimination against workers who choose to have a union negotiated agreement said O’Donnell.”
O’Donnell says: ”We at the CEPU are sure that the new Industrial Laws were not designed to allow discrimination against union members. We call on the government to comment on what can only be described as blatant discrimination of union members”.
John O’Donnell further stated that “Telstra should apply their energies to rehabilitating its terrible reputation for customer service and the declining share price, rather than continuing this pointless dispute. Telstra cannot fix these issues without us”
John O’Donnell
Branch Organiser
CWU Perth Branch
196 Lord St Perth WA 6000
0892279911 Mob 0417873654 johncwu@iinet.net.au
