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Published on Thursday, 26 June, 2008

Workers who monitor servers at IBM Australia are considering taking industrial action in their campaign to obtain an Enterprise Bargaining Agreement. Currently IBM workers are employed on individual contracts with vastly different terms of employment and many conditions are in policy which could be changed at any time.

IBM have refused workers demands to meet to start negotiations. Instead, in an effort to avoid union demands, they have organised roundtable meetings with employees saying that IBM prefers to deal with its employees one-on-one.

As a result of these meetings IBM have offered staff a pool table and communal BBQ. However, IBM have not offered workers the annual payrise, redundancy entitlements or a travel allowance that they have requested.

In order to get the real issues at IBM addressed workers met on 23 June and authorised the ASU to apply for a protected action ballot. Protected action ballots are now required under Federal industrial relations law in order to take legal industrial action. The requirement for the ballots was introduced as part of Workchoices and is being kept by the Rudd Labor government.

The laws require a ballot of union members conducted by the AEC or an authorized agent. Only union members can participate in the ballot or take protected industrial action. To take protected action, 50% of union members have to participate in the ballot and at least 50% plus one of the eligible members vote in favour of the proposed action.

While these ballots are designed to delay and prevent industrial action, in many places they have become organising opportunities. IBM members have used the ballot process successfully to build the union in their workplace and to involve people in the campaign for an Enterprise Bargaining Agreement.