Over the last few months the ASU and employee representatives have negotiated with management on your behalf for a new Enterprise Agreement to cover Employment, Training and Immigration staff at MaxNetwork.
Improvements
The ASU and employee representatives achieved the following improvements:
– Parental leave will be paid in one block of 12 weeks, rather than the current practice of paying in two separate 6 week blocks.
– Establishment of a Health and Safety Committee
– Removal of the proposal to have wage increases reduced by any legislated Superannuation clauses ensuring a 3% wage increase will be paid every December for the next four years.
– A new pay level for Customer Service Officer’s providing a career path for CSO’s into an EC1 role.
– Introduction of 5 days leave for employees experiencing domestic violence.
– Protections for part time workers such as minimum hours per shift and a requirement that hours be set by written agreement
– A review mechanism for classification decisions
– Some time off when an employee has to travel for work in their own time.
– A review of annualised salaries for Business Managers to assess whether excessive hours are being worked
– Maintenance of the Bank Holiday public holiday in NSW (NSW employees will receive the Bank Holiday on 4 August 2014, but thereafter it will be taken on the first working day after Boxing Day).
– Advance notice of Christmas Shutdown
– Improved compassionate leave provisions
Remaining problems
Despite these improvements the EBA has some significant problems. Management refused to negotiate on the bonus structure and refused to address the low rates of pay and workload issues. ASU members at MaxNetwork tell us these are the big issues that affect your workplace.
The wages are low, and close to the minimum Award rates. Detailed wage analysis for each classification can be found at the ASU website: http://www.asu.asn.au/sacs/empservices
The company made over $28 million profit, after tax for the year ended 30 September 2013. You have to ask yourself – can they afford to pay more than minimum Award rates?
Next steps
Information sessions
Over the next month management will be conducting information sessions about the EBA. We encourage you to attend these sessions, consider the EBA and ask questions about how it affects you.
Voting on the Enterprise Agreement
In August you will be asked to vote on whether you support the Agreement.
If you vote yes
If you and the majority of your co-workers, vote yes, then the Agreement will be submitted to Fair Work Commission for approval. Once the Agreement is approved it will determine the minimum pay rates, terms and conditions of your employment for the next 4 years.
If you vote no
If you vote no – the current Agreement will remain in force and the parties will need to come back to the negotiating table. If you want better terms and conditions than what is on offer, you should vote no.
Given the issues outlined above, it would not be an unreasonable response to vote “no” to this Agreement.