On Friday 6 May 2016 the formal ballot for your new EBA will open. It is very important that you take the opportunity to vote.
The ASU is recommending that you vote yes.
The new EBA delivers some significant improvements and claws back many things that were previously lost.
The new EBA delivers
- Annual wage increases with this years’ increase backdated to 2 January 2016
- 10% superannuation, backdated to January
- Increased allowances
- Paid meal breaks for employees working beyond 7pm
- Introduction of a PM shift and provisions to ensure employees receive an additional pay loading for all hours worked if rostered beyond 7pm
- 50% loading for all hours worked between 4am to 5.30am
- Enshrined the paid tea breaks in the agreement and ensured that they were available for shifts of 5 hours.
- Doubled the redundancy provisions and built in a processes to mitigate redundancies by looking at other options, and or calling for volunteers.
- Improved the meal allowance, to be paid on overtime if you work back for 2 hours or more irrespective of when you had a meal break.
- Improved higher duties clause that ensures an employee who is acting at a higher level for a period of time maintains the rate of pay when accessing leave and sick leave.
- Built a casual conversion clause into the agreement so casuals have the opportunity to become permanent.
- Improved the rostering clauses to ensure that discussions occur at least 8 weeks before Christmas and Easter so that people are clear on whether or not they have to work and when.
- Written into the agreement the right for people to request payment of wages in advance when applying for annual leave.
- Ensured that part time employees also now receive a day in lieu if a public holiday falls when on a rostered day off.
- Improved consultation provisions around rosters
- We have also improved clauses such as the;
– Stand down provisions
– Branch transfers and also redrafted and moved clauses around to make the document clearer and easier to read.
Fixed v’s Flexible Part time clause.
Some individuals have asked for some more clarity about whether in certain circumstances they would lose their status as a fixed part time employee.
The ASU is very comfortable with the new clause. It was the ASU that negotiated the protections in this clause to ensure that the company could not change you from a fixed part time employee to a flexible part time employee unless you agreed.
It’s important to remember that ALL current employees will remain as a fixed part time employee.
Below are some examples that may help. If at any time into the future you are asked to sign a new contract stating you are now a flexible part time employee that you don’t agree with then contact the ASU immediately.
Example 1.
I am currently fixed on morning hours and a position becomes available on the afternoon shift would I be able to change my hours to the afternoon shift and remain as a fixed part time employee on my new hours.
Yes. If a vacant position became available on a different shift and the company wanted to fill it with the same hours then they would advertise it internally, you would apply, and if successful there would be no need to vary your contract to a flexible arrangement because you would simply change you current fixed hours to the current vacant position and remain as a fixed part time employee.
Example 2.
If in the future I want to work less hours would I have to become a flexible part time employee.
No. This would be treated as a change or an adjustment to your roster, you would remain as a fixed part time employee on those hours.
Example 3.
Under the Fair Work Act an employee is able to request a Flexible Work Arrangement (FWA) if they have certain caring responsibilities or if they are of a certain age. An FWA allows an employee to lock in certain days and times to suit their personal circumstances if they can be operationally accommodated. Would this change me from being a fixed part time employee to a flexible part time employee?
Accessing or requesting an FWA will not change your employment status, you would still be a fixed part time employee on the hours that were agreed.
Example 4.
My hours were reduced in the past and I would like to have some additional hours rostered to me, would this make me a flexible part time employee.
No. If for example you currently work Monday to Thursday and you would like additional hours on the Friday (and they are regularly available on the roster) then they could be rostered to you and built in as part of your roster on a fixed basis and you would still remain a fixed part time employee.
Once the new EBA is certified the ASU will be working with individuals that are members of the ASU to help them to get some additional hours back into the rosters if they are available.
What is a fixed part time employee?
A fixed part time employee would be a new employee that could be used to work hours where the hours are required to be worked.
An example of this would be that there may be a need for someone to be employed that could work Monday to Wednesday on a morning or day shift and then work Thursday and Friday on an afternoon shift, much like a casual can be utilised now.
The flexible provisions basically allow the company to employ someone permanently on the hours that they need them to work.
What do you need to do?
You need to get on board and join the ASU.
The ASU has the majority of members at Armaguard and it is only through remaining strong with good ASU union density that we will be able to continue to gain ongoing improvements.
There is always strength in numbers.
How do I join?
Join online at www.asuvic.org or,
Complete a membership form and;
- return it to the ASU via email or post
- hand it directly to one of your workplace delegates or Matt Norrey from the ASU during one of the regular site visits.
- take a photo of it with your smart phone and SMS it to Matt on 0407 873 050 (please make sure it is a clear photo of the whole form so we can read all details)
- take a photo or scan a copy of a completed membership form and email to Matt Norrey at mnorrey@asupsvic.org
For a printable version please click here.