Employees have overwhelmingly voted to agree to the terms of new ASU and Helloworld Enterprise Agreement, which was negotiated and recommended by the ASU National Negotiating Team.
The independent company who conducted the ballot has declared that the new agreement has been approved by a majority of staff – almost 90% of employees who voted in the ballot voted in favour of the new agreement, which is a very strong endorsement of the agreement that was negotiated.
While there are still some formalities to complete, including the approval of the agreement by the Fair Work Commission, you can expect your back pay before Christmas. Please contact your local delegate or organiser for any questions about your backpay.
The agreement will commence 7 days after it is approved by the Fair Work Commission – we will let you know once this happens.
Changes won by your ASU delegates
It was only because of the hard work of your ASU delegates that we were able to reach this agreement, which includes the following improvements for employees:
Pay Increases
Annual pay increases as follows:
- 2.5% increase backdated to April 2015 (paid to employees before Christmas)
- The greater of 2.5% or the Fair Work Commission’s minimum wage increase, effective April 2016
- The greater of 2.5% or the Fair Work Commission’s minimum wage increase, effective April 2017
Scope of the Agreement
Increased the scope of the agreement to include 20 additional employees (who will now enjoy all of the terms and conditions of the agreement)
Leave matters
- A new clause ensuring employee applications for annual leave cannot be unreasonably refused
- A commitment that Helloworld will take into account an employee’s personal circumstances when directing them to take annual leave
- The introduction of at least 5 days per annum Family Violence leave for employees experiencing family violence (this will be in policy)
Consultation
- Clarification that Helloworld will not embark upon a redundancy program before extensive consultation with employees and the ASU
- Inclusion of an obligation to consult with employees in relation to changes to rosters
If you have any questions, please contact your local ASU delegate or organiser, Imogen Sturni, at isturni@asupsvic.org