The ASU and Professionals met with management yesterday to discuss a further offer. That offer dealt with a number of the ASU’s claims including the quantum, allowances and various other matters. The ASU sought improvements to the offer, increasing a proposed one-off $1000 sign on payment to a Skills & Retention allowance, paid annually. Quite a lot of progress has been made on what a final offer might look like but we are still missing management’s view of the translation to the new classification structure. Management has indicated that they will have a draft available by next week’s meeting, after which we propose to run membership meeting to update and get your direction on the offer. We will update with meeting details once we have confirmation that management has finalised their position. Please make your best efforts to attend as it is important that we get your direction on the offer.
The prospect of a significant portion of the workforce going to Downer has raised some other issues. Employees who transfer to Downer take their enterprise agreement and its terms and conditions with them. These will remain in place until such time as a new agreement is negotiated (likely the expiry date of the agreement we are negotiating now). What doesn’t necessarily transfer are those conditions set by custom and practice or by company policy, so we are looking at how we can preserve those conditions principally by way of inclusion in the enterprise agreement.
I would encourage members who have particular conditions, be that entitlements, or work patterns that aren’t specified in the agreement to pass them on either to myself, or Dennis Fitzpatrick or Kyle hickman so we can get a handle on what may need to be included or where a separate side agreement with AUSNET and Downer needs to be struck.
For further information please contact
ASU Organiser Jonathan Smallbone | jsmallbone@asuvictas.com.au
