You might have seen an email from the Management Negotiating Team about the progress of bargaining for a new enterprise agreement (EBA) this week. It’s not surprising that there were some errors in management’s email about the position of the ASU and the ENT. They sent the email only an hour after bargaining ended.
The ASU wrote to management on Tuesday, 30 June, asking them for a correction.
Here’s what actually happened. Management proposed to the ASU and the ENT to pause bargaining until January 2021. At previous meetings, we’ve suggested that it might be sensible to defer bargaining until there is more certainty about the pandemic and international flying. But management has always refused to discuss this option.
The ASU agreed to consult its members about management’s proposal.
We’ve told management we can only recommend a deferral to our members if management agrees to some important protections. These are:
- You pay and conditions must be protected. This means your EBA must remain in place until a new one is negotiated.
- Progress on discussions remains in place – we don’t go back to square one in January!
- We reserve the right to return to bargaining if the status quo changes (for example if the company restructures the business).
- The company needs to agree to meet with representatives about key issues over the next 6 months to keep an open dialogue.
Once we have more detail about the company’s response to our proposals, we’ll convene a meeting of members to discuss the details.
ASU members make the decisions at the ASU. If you’re not a member of the ASU and you want a say in our members decision-making, you can join now at www.asu.asn.au/ASUJOIN.
Between then and now, reach out to your local organiser if you want to organise a local meeting at your office or port (download full bulletin here)