Communication Workers Union

Ref: SLD 10/270 – 22^nd December 2010

CEPU INITIATIVE IMPROVES TRAINEES’ CONDITIONS

The CEPU became aware that young people being trained by Excelior to enter the Telstra workforce were being paid a fraction of the travel allowance needed to live in reasonable conditions, when away from home.

What this meant in practice was trainees having to share back packers accommodation or sleep in the back of cars when they had to travel away from home to attend training locations.

The CEPU supported an amendment to the Telecommunications Services Award which did three important things. First it removed any doubt that the trainees were covered by the Telecommunications Services Award. Secondly, it removed any doubt that trainees received full travelling allowances. Thirdly, it was made effective from 1 January 2010.

Any trainees in this position need to get details to the union relating to their travel payments (or lack of them) with dates and times etc. As indicated above, claims can be made back to the 1st January 2010

Excelior trainees and their families should contact the Branch Office for details and assistance.

The new award clauses relating to travel, achieved by the union are as follows:

Clause 17. Allowances

Transfers, travelling and working away from usual place of work

(i) Distant work/travelling time payment

• All reasonable out-of-pocket expenses incurred in connection with the employer’s business authorised by the employer and properly paid by the employee will be reimbursed by the employer.

• Except as provided elsewhere in this award, an employee directed by the employer to travel in the employee’s own time to transact company business will be paid travelling time and all expenses incurred while travelling in accordance with clause 17.1(e)(ii). Further, an employee sent by their employer from their usual locality to another and required to remain away from their usual residence will be paid expenses while so absent from their usual locality.

• An employee is not entitled to be paid for travelling in the employee’s accustomed workplace or territory. In circumstances where an employee is required to work away from the accustomed workplace or territory and travels in the employee’s own time to reach such place, the employee will be entitled to be paid for the time reasonably spent in travelling to such place in excess of that which would be spent travelling from home to the accustomed workplace or boundary of the accustomed territory.

(ii) Payment for travelling

• The amount of pay for an employee travelling outside of ordinary hours will be their ordinary rate of pay.

• The travelling time to be paid will be 12 maximum hours out of every 24 hours, or where a sleeping berth is provided by the employer for all night travel, eight hours out of every 24.

(iii) Expenses

[17.1(e)(iii) varied by PR998171 ppc 01Jul10]

Expenses for the purposes of clause 17.1(e)(i) means:

• All fares reasonably incurred at the following standard:

Rail: first class (including the provision of a sleeping berth where available for all night travel);

Air: economy class for all journeys.

• Reasonable expenses incurred while travelling including $11.39 for each meal taken (except where the cost of the meal is included in the fare).

• Reimbursement of the cost incurred for lodging of at least reasonable hotel/motel standard.

It is the CEPU’s intention to seek further talks with Excelior to make sure that they are paying your entitlements as per the new award.

We may need to follow you up to get more information as our talk’s progress.

We will be in touch with you again, but in the meantime don’t hesitate to contact us with any queries or additional information that you think might be important.

If you know of any other trainees that may be affected, please be sure to put them in touch with us.”

LEN COOPER
Branch Secretary
CEPU (T&S) Vic
M. 0438 3893 20
E. lencoop@iinet.net.au