St Vincent de Paul EBA Campaign
MEMBERS TO DECIDE
- Details
- Published on Thursday, 26 February, 2009
The Society advised today that it intends to send workers the draft agreement on 6th March for a vote. As members will be aware, the ASU will only endorse the agreement with the support of a majority of its members. Now is the time for members to decide whether the ASU endorses the Agreement.
This bulletin outlines our concerns the Agreement and recommends that you direct the ASU NOT to endorse the Agreement.
10 Reasons Why Members Should Direct the ASU NOT To Endorse the Agreement
1. Vinnes has broken its word
In August 2007, Raymond James on behalf of the Society, signed an agreement with the ASU that they would not operate under WorkChoices and they would negotiate the CA according to an agreed process and timeframe.
Now the Society are using WorkChoices laws to draft this Collective Agreement and are refusing to negotiate. The Society has broken its word. Why should we believe them now when they say this is a good Agreement?
2. The Agreement that senior management wants you to sign will undermine the CARE Campaign.
Although the Society has guaranteed to pass on to workers any benefits gained through the CARE Campaign, this Agreement will separate members out from the CARE Campaign and will undermine the campaign. Whilst we campaign against the government it’s imperative that no-one agree to any agreement that undermines CARE.
3. The Agreement that senior management want you to sign will remove you from your Award forever.
Once you have been removed from the Award you will not be able to return to it, even if the Award significantly exceeds the provisions in the Agreement. You will be set apart from the rest of the industry. This might be an acceptable outcome if the agreement was a good agreement – but to date we do believe that the agreement is in your long (or short) term interest.
4. The Agreement that senior management wants you to sign will cut some of your award conditions.
As members will be aware, the following provisions are below Award:
a. Grades 5 and 6 employees and various services groups will be excluded from the Agreement. The Award has much wider coverage of workers.
b. 6 month probation instead of 3.
c. Conversion from casual to permanent is dependent on the employee approaching their employer. The Award reverses this.
d. Payment of sick leave can be denied in the first 3 months.
e. Long term workers are penalised with having to give 4 weeks notice before termination.
f. 18 month increments instead of 12 months
g. No guidelines on how to speed up the increments
h. No guidelines on how competencies in classifications will be assessed
i. No process to elect Employment Relations Consultative committee
In addition, some employees classification letters have re-classified workers to a lower Level.
5. Senior Management refuses to give an undertaking that you will be better off on the new Agreement than you would be if you stayed on the Award and received a 4.5% increase each year.
Over the life of the Agreement (3 years) some workers will actually be worse off and some will be exactly the same in terms of their take home pay.
6. Senior management is trying to do this agreement under John Howard’s discredited WorkChoices laws because then they do not have to bargain – only consult.
This means that the Society is operating under unfair employment laws which severely limit the rights of workers and do not require an employer to properly bargain with workers or their Union. The society is using these laws and refusing to negotiate with the Union – something it will NOT be able to do after July 1st when the new laws become operative.
7. On July 1st 2009 the new IR laws for bargaining will come into effect
The new laws will require all employers to negotiate with you and your nominated agent and the ASU in good faith. This means they must:
- attend and participate in meetings at reasonable times;
- disclose relevant information;
- respond to proposals made by workers or their representatives;
- give genuine consideration to the proposals of workers/representatives
- refrain from unfair conduct that undermines collective bargaining.
8. You don’t need this agreement now
Your employer has already guaranteed you a 4.5% pay increase on 1st July 2009 and has already put parental leave and study leave in policy.
9. You can negotiate a new agreement with Vinnies after 1st July
This will mean there will be new laws that protect and guarantee your right to bargain and that will force Vinnies to bargain fairly.
10. The 2.25% pay increase which Vinnies is offering as soon as the CA is signed is only a small increase for 3 months.
Do not be deceived by these 30 pieces of silver. For most people this small upfront increase will only amount to $23-50 a week more. You will be getting a 4.5% increase on 1st July even if you vote NO.
What Members Have to Do to Determine the ASU Position
We want to know from members whether or not the ASU should endorse or reject the Agreement. We recommend that members take the following steps:
1. Have a workplace meeting to discuss the contents of this bulletin. (A separate letter has been sent to a contact person in your workplace)
2. Have a workplace vote to direct the ASU to endorse or reject the Agreement;
3. Fill out the ballot form attached and send it back to the ASU by 4th March;
4. If there is no workplace meeting, you can vote as an individual and send back the form.
Please send all ballot forms to:
Australian Services Union
PO Box 1865
STRAWBERRY HILLS NSW 2012
Fax: 9698 8936
Please direct any questions or comments to Adrienne Vella, Organiser at the Australian Services Union on 9310 4000 or This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.
