Telstra workers prepare to strike: ACTU calls for new IR umpire

Stuart Corner
Monday, 03 November 2008 09:06

IT Industry - Strategy

t}ACTU secretary, Jeff Lawrence, said the prospect of industrial action could have been avoided if the had been an independent umpire with powers to make binding orders to resolve disputes of this kind.

He said the ACTU would be putting the case to the Rudd Government that the independent umpire should be able to arbitrate in limited circumstances, adding that this was vital to deliver on Labor's election promise of a fair and balanced industrial relations system that scraps WorkChoices and restores workers' rights.

"Telstra's employees have been let down by the system. [Telstra] management has repeatedly snubbed attempts to negotiate a new enterprise agreement. Workers feel they have no choice but to take industrial action in support of a decent agreement and to send a message to management to come back to the negotiating table," Lawrence claimed.

"This is a clear cut example of why we need an independent umpire with teeth under Labor's new IR system. Fair Work Australia must be able to make a binding determination as a last resort after serious and persistent breaches of good faith orders."

According to CEPU communications divisional president, Len Cooper, "This proposed industrial campaign is likely to be prolonged, largely because Telstra has demonstrated time and time again that it won't be moved by a one or two day strike. We really have no alternative to demonstrate the depth of feeling among our members."

He said the CEPU would go to the AIRC for permission to ballot its members on a number of options for industrial actinon: an unlimited number of four, 24 48 hour rolling stoppages of work; an unlimited number of indefinite or periodic bans on overtime (paid and unpaid), recalls/call backs, performing higher duties and not attending management meetings; and/or an unlimited number of indefinite stoppages at work.

Cooper said the industrial action would aim to "send a strong message to Telstra, while minimising the effect on the Australian public."