Your ASU National Negotiating Team (NNT) finally had a meeting with the Company's representatives on 9th November 2015 which saw the start of bargaining.
The ASU previously served our log of claims on the Company on 14th September 2015 and at this meeting we presented comprehensive written proposals on each claim to management. These detailed claims indicate how we want the current EBA changed.
Copies of our detailed claims are available to ASU members from your ASU delegates or organisers.
The Company did not ask any questions or respond to our claims reserving their questions and comments until we next meet on 23rd November 2015.
No sign of Company claims
The Company say they will not be in a position to give your representatives their claims until 3rd December 2015 and then they will be in a position to discuss their claims on 7th December 2015 in more detail.
Apparently the Company claims are being "signed off" at a Board strategy meeting on 24th November 2015. We wanted to get the claims much earlier than 3rd December so we could consult with members but the Human Resources representatives said they would not be ready to do this.
This is very disappointing as we understood from the Company they had been working on their claims for some time.
Your negotiating team want to seriously progress bargaining as soon as we can and proposed many dates to meet and finally settled on the following initial meeting dates:
- 23rd November 2015 – by videoconference
- 7th and 8th December 2015 – face to face meeting
- 21st December 2015 – either videoconference or face to face
- 28th January 2016 – either videoconference or face to face
Request for information – still waiting
As part of our negotiations we have requested information to assist us in negotiations including details of actual wage rates and the range of bonuses paid. At the moment Maurice Blackburn are refusing to provide this information and we have asked them to reconsider this refusal.
We are also keen to understand what percentage pay increases between 2.5% and 4% were received by staff and in what areas when the Company unilaterally paid a pay rise without negotiation with the ASU back in July 2015. As members will remember, management called in two ASU delegates to tell them they were paying an increase and there was no negotiation, discussion, consultation or information beyond the memo everyone received. The ASU did NOT agree to this process or the pay rises that were made.
What next?
Our next meeting is on 23rd November 2015 we expect the Company to ask questions about our claims at this meeting.
Want more information?
If you have questions or queries contact your ASU NNT members, delegates or local organiser or delegate (download the full bulletin below for details).
Now more than ever it is time to join the ASU – you can join the ASU online at https://www.asu.asn.au/asujoin
Maurice Blackburn Bulletin - 10 November 2015