After wasting 3 weeks on Appendix D, Singapore Management needs to get serious about negotiating a new EBA.
The ASU’s bargaining representatives met with Singapore Airlines management on Thursday, 28 May 2020.
Finally! Singapore Airlines has confirmed that Appendix D is off the table! Thanks to all the ASU members whose work made the ‘No’ vote so successful.
At the meeting on 25 May, ASU bargaining representatives were able to get back to discussing the future of your EBA. This is what you need to know:
- Management is stalling discussion of employee proposals. Management wasted an hour arguing about reasonable requests for information to advance discussions about clause 19.4.6 (the Nil48 shift change rule). Both ASU and ENT claims were deferred until the next bargaining meeting.
- Management is still seeking a wage freeze in 2020. We’ve asked management to explain why this is necessary when most employees have already taken a 10% wage cut by volunteering for the shorter working week and the government is subsidising $1500 of your wages. They will report back at the next meeting.
- Check your superannuation. Management is seeking to change superannuation arrangements for day workers when they take annual leave. When you take annual leave you are paid leave loading. ATO advice is that you are entitled to be paid superannuation on your leave loading unless your EBA expressly states that the leave loading is paid in lieu of the opportunity for overtime. Your current EBA doesn’t say leave loading is paid in lieu of overtime. Management has admitted that their current practice may not meet ATO advice and they want to change your EBA to cover it up. Management’s change would mean that you are not entitled to superannuation on your annual leave loading, which you may be entitled to currently.
- Management wants the right to come back for more. Management wants to delete clause 10 of your EBA. This clause protects employees from negative changes to their non-EBA conditions. If your entitlement is written into policy or contract, clause 10 protects you from unilateral changes by management.
At the next meeting, the ASU will come prepared to discuss our proposals for paid parental leave, better protections from involuntary redundancy, and better protections from short notice shift changes.
The win against Appendix D show’s we’re stronger together. If you are not an ASU member, we need you to join at www.asu.asn.au/ASUJOIN
Please pass this bulletin to your friends and colleagues at Singapore Airlines.
Speak to your organiser for more information (download the full bulletin here)