RTBU-PacNat Member's Union Collective Agreement 2006 Update Newsflash! 74

EA VOTING PROCESS CONCLUDES:

Members are advised that the briefing sessions and voting processes for the new Agreements have finally concluded. Today the RTBU and Pacific National jointly tallied the votes for each of the Agreements, including the postal ballots.

The RTBU is pleased to report that all of the Agreements have received overwhelming support in favour of accepting them. Across all of the Agreements the vote in favour was 87%, with every Agreement recording between 72% to 98% in favour. This is a fantastic result for members. The vote brings to an end a campaign which has now run for more than 20 months and well over 150 negotiation meetings.

NEW AGREEMENTS TO TAKE EFFECT FROM FRIDAY 22 DECEMBER, 2006.

As a result of the voting process showing a clear acceptance by the majority of employees, all of the Agreements are being lodged with the Office of Employment Advocate today. Therefore, all of the Agreements will take effect as of tomorrow, Friday 22 December, 2006. Of course this means the wage increases will take effect from your next pay period, and you will receive the first 4% increase and the back pay to the 1st July, 2006 in the first pay after that pay period (just in time to pay off the credit card after Christmas).

RTBU DELEGATES AND ACTIVISTS STAND TALL!

Throughout this long and drawn out campaign, one of the most pleasing things has been the continuing development of the RTBU Delegates and Activists. We have witnessed a number of delegates and activists develop as true workplace leaders. It would not have been possible for the RTBU to have held our ground for as long as was necessary without the delegates and activists' leadership on the ground. Of course many of those delegates also played vital roles in the actual negotiations themselves. Those delegates often gave up their own time for the benefit of the members they represented and they are to be commended for their efforts.

Of course it would have been equally as hard to maintain the solidarity we have achieved without the support of members themselves. Each and every RTBU member is to be congratulated for the tenacious support shown for YOUR union. RTBU members involved in this campaign have epitomised what true unionism is, and should be about - not accepting the unacceptable, and being prepared to do what it takes to achieve a fair and reasonable outcome. Congratulations to one and all.

To date the company has demonstrated a turnaround in its attitude to the RTBU and its members. Let us hope the talk we have all heard about rebuilding relationships between the company, the RTBU and its members is much more than just talk. Let us hope the company has learned the best way to do business in this industry is with the involvement of the RTBU and its members, not against it. Time will tell.

A CHALLENGING YEAR AHEAD:

As we come to the end of another year we have the opportunity to reflect on the previous 12 months. It has been year of interesting events. We commenced this year with the uncertainty of the new Industrial Relations environment thrust upon us by the Howard Government. We continued to take the fight up to Pacific National in order to achieve a fair and reasonable outcome for members with the new Agreements. We faced up to the challenge of maintaining the solidarity we built over the previous 12 months, and the year has culminated with the successful outcome of the new Agreements.

Together we face a whole new array of challenges in the New Year. There will undoubtedly be disputes with Pacific National regarding the new Agreements as they roll out. There will be the usual workplace issues that will need to be dealt with, as has always been the case, and we will deal with those issues. But by far the biggest issue and the biggest challenge confronting all of us in 2007 will be the campaign to get rid of the neo-liberal conservative Howard Government. This challenge should not be underestimated in any way. The Howard Government has not finished with workplace 'reform' by any stretch of the imagination. Indeed, they have barely begun. Every working man and woman in this country has a responsibility to get rid of this Government in order to protect our children from being the first generation from being worse off than we are.

MERRY CHRISTMAS AND A HAPPY AND HEALTHY NEW YEAR TO ALL:

We would like to take this opportunity, on behalf of Officers and staff of the RTBU National Office and each of the respective RTBU State Branches and their Officers and staff to wish all members and their families a very Merry Christmas and an exciting and prosperous New Year. If you are travelling over the Christmas / New Year period, please drive safely. If you are working over the Christmas / New Year period, please work safely. Remember, you are important to your family and friends and you are important to us.

LAST PN UNION COLLECTIVE AGREEMENT NEWSFLASH!

Hopefully this will be the final edition of your Newsflash Newsletter for this campaign. However we will continue to send you relative information from time to time on issues that affect you. To all who have elected to have the Newsflashes to be sent directly to your personal email address, thank you for demonstrating your support for your union and thank you for distributing the Newsflashes at your workplaces and regions.

The RTBU National Office is currently investigating the feasibility of re-building our website to make it an interactive forum for information sharing and gathering in the New Year. Should the decision be made to go ahead with those plans, members will be advised through a Newsletter.

Newsflash!@Home:

If you would like to receive future information to your personal home email please email Greg Harvey at gharvey@rtbu-nat.asn.au with your name, your location, your classification and your email address and you will be added to the email list.

Your Rights At Work.....Worth Fighting (And Voting) For!!