IBM Flightdeck employees met yesterday to discuss a range of issues to do with employment at IBM.

The issues raised by employees included:

• A lack of consultation by IBM in closing the Pyrmont Innovation Centre;
• The removal of travel allowances for those who were primarily located at the Pyrmont site;
• Different pay rates for employees on individual contracts doing the same work due to transition arrangements from Qantas and Westpac;
•  No pay rises to keep pace with increases in the cost of living;
• The fact that many conditions such as shift allowances are not protected and could be changed by IBM at any time.

Many of the issues raised could be settled through an Enterprise Bargaining Agreement between IBM as the employer and IBM Flightdeck staff as a group. An Enterprise Bargaining Agreement would also protect pay and conditions in the future.

IBM Flightdeck employees decided to work together to obtain an Enterprise Bargaining Agreement that would:

• Provide regular pay rises for all employees to ensure that wages at IBM keep pace with increases in the cost of living;
• Provide pay equity so that all IBM staff are paid the same wage for doing the same work;
• Provide a travel allowance for all employees who travel a long way to the Baulkham Hills site;
• Paid shift handover periods;
• Protect shift penalties for all IBM employees into the future;
• Provide fair access to leave entitlements and time off in lieau;
• Allow all employees the option to work from home to reduce the inconvenience of the relocation to Baulkham Hills;
• Protection of existing hours of work and shift rotations.

It will take a majority of the IBM Flightdeck employees working together to obtain an Enterprise Bargaining Agreement from IBM. You can help to improve pay and conditions at IBM now and in the future by committing to work with your colleagues to obtain an Enterprise Agreement. We are asking that you join us to make this possible by:

1. Joining the ASU;
2. Attending monthly meetings so that we can make decisions as a united group.

If there are any issues you would like to include in a potential enterprise agreement or if you have any questions please contact Organiser, Carl Harris by calling 02 9310 4000 or email This e-mail address is being protected from spambots, you need JavaScript enabled to view it .