RTBU-PacNat Member's Union Collective Agreement 2006 Update Newsflash! 70

'In Principle' Agreement Reached With all Business Divisions

The RTBU is pleased to be able to finally report, after many months of negotiations, that 'in principle' agreements have been reached with respect to all seven Business Divisions. The RTBU convened a meeting with delegates from each of the Business Divisions for a day and a half last Thursday and Friday. The purpose of meeting with the delegates was to identify which, if any, issues remained outstanding with their respective Agreement. It was also an opportunity for the delegates who were not directly involved in the negotiations to read the draft documents and provide feedback.

Following the day and a half meeting with the delegates, the RTBU (including all of the delegates present) met with senior management representatives from Pacific National, including the C.E.O, Don Telford. Initially the intention of meeting with Don Telford was to finalise any of the remaining issues which could not be addressed at the negotiating table. As it turned out, the only remaining issue was that of the appropriate wages increases over the life of the Agreements. Those increases and other significant outcomes which will apply to all Agreements are detailed further in this Newsletter.

At the conclusion of the meeting with senior Pacific National management representatives on Friday, the RTBU and Pacific National agreed to release a brief joint Bulletin to members / employees. A copy of that joint Bulletin is included in this Newsletter for your information.

JOINT BULLETIN
6 October 2006
Pacific National Enterprise Agreement Negotiations
Agreement Reached
Today the RTBU delegates and Officials met with Don Telford and the senior managers to finalise your enterprise agreements as proposed in July.<
Agreement was reached in principle on all items. It was also agreed that the following pay increases would apply:
4% backdated to July 2006
5% from the first pay period in July 2007
5% from the first pay period in July 2008
A lot of effort has been put in by all involved to finalise these agreements. Both Pacific National and the RTBU endorse the agreement in principle and recognise that it is a positive step. Both Pacific National and the RTBU will be recommending to employees that they support the agreements reached.
Copies will be distributed shortly once drafting has been finalised with a view to putting the agreements to a vote. Further information will be provided as we progress through this process.

Key Outcomes Applying to All Seven Agreements:

The key outcomes affecting members from all seven Business Divisions are detailed below:

• Common Clauses
  There are some 22 clauses that apply commonly to all Business Divisions.
• Duration of Agreements
  All Agreements have a nominal expiry date of June 30, 2009.
• Wage Increases
  In addition to the 4% wage increase applied in August this year (and back-dated to October 2005), members from all seven Business Divisions will receive another 4% wage increase (back-dated to 1 July 2006) following the finalisation of the necessary processes of these Agreements, followed by another 5% applicable from the first pay period after 1 July 2007 and 5% applicable from the first pay period after 1 July, 2008.

Where to From Here?

Following the finalisation of some minor wording alterations to some of the Agreements, the final documents will be made available to all members prior to a voting process being undertaken. The voting process will be conducted following meetings at each location, where representatives of the RTBU and Pacific National will address members / employees and answer questions prior to the vote. There will also be an opportunity for those who may be unavailable to attend the meetings to cast their vote through an absenteeism process. The details of the meetings and voting processes are yet to be finalised and members will be advised when they are.

Successful Campaign

The campaign for a new Agreement for Pacific National members commenced with the first negotiation meeting way back in March, 2005. Some 19 months later we have finally reached a position which the RTBU, including rank and file delegates believe delivers a fair outcome for members.

It would not have been possible to have reached a successful conclusion to these negotiations without the solidarity and support of members and delegates alike. Members are to be highly commended on their refusal to accept anything less than a fair deal, no matter what the consequences were. It is because of your strength, your commitment, your unity and your faith in your union that we were able to overcome all of the adversities this campaign has produced over those 19 months. The faith of the membership in their delegates and their union could not be ignored by the company. This was particularly highlighted when members held firm against the attempts of the management of the time to prevent you from exercising your legal right to strike in support of a better outcome, and then your overwhelming rejection of an Agreement not supported by your union.

Particular mention and commendation goes to the rank and file delegates who have risen to the challenge of properly representing the interests of the members in their location / region / classification over the course of this campaign. The role of Workplace delegate can be difficult at times, but your delegates are people who deserve the respect they have earned.

The rank and file delegates who attended the negotiation meetings deserve the highest commendation. These delegates gave up hours and days of time they could and should have been spending with their families, for the good of the members they represented. None of these delegates ever waived the enormous responsibility they had of representing members and assisting officers with advice about the real workplace environment. These delegates have accepted ownership of the outcomes of negotiations to the extent that many of them will be involved in the workplace meetings and voting process of the Agreements, as mentioned earlier in this Newsletter.

The difference in the negotiations in the latest rounds has been nothing short of remarkable. Gone was the bash and barge of the previous management representation. Instead there was an atmosphere of mutual respect for each party's position, along with a degree of cautious trust. The managers attending these negotiations have spoken a great deal about building bridges and mending relationships with their employees. Let us hope that over the next three years we see the actions of mending those relationships.

Further Information:

Members can expect to gain further information regarding their respective Agreement outcomes in the near future through future Newsletters and / or Business Division specific telephone hook ups with delegates. You are encouraged to speak with your local RTBU delegate if you have any questions regarding the Agreement affecting you.

Newsflash!@Home

If you would like to receive future UCA Newsflashes 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 FOR!!