Update on CSL Bargaining and Industrial Action
Key points at a glance:
- Some positive progress
- Industrial action is putting pressure on CSL management
- Still more work to do
- Pay rise offer improves
- Join us for a BBQ
- Update on redundancy and redeployment to Tullamarine
While there is still more work to do, your union bargaining representatives have made some significant progress in our campaign to protect existing conditions threatened by CSL cuts and improve other conditions.
Making a difference
There are two key things that have helped unions secure these recent positive outcomes:
- Taking protected industrial action: the recent action has shown CSL management that union members are serious about protecting and improving their workplace rights and conditions
- Using the independent umpire: our decision to have the Fair Work Commission involved in negotiations is keeping CSL honest.
Progress so far:
Shift work issues: Management have abandoned their proposal to remove the 15% shift loading and are proposing to apply the loading to all 12-hour day shifts. The joint unions are pursuing an 8-hour rotating shift model to provide 24/7 coverage, with the 15% loading applied to all day shifts.
Shutdown: Employees will not be stood down without pay at any time for the purposes of the shutdown, or unreasonably directed to use annual leave.
Overtime eligibility after ordinary hours: Management have agreed to drop their plan to make OT eligible only after 10 hours. Staff will now accrue the overtime immediately after the completion of their standard hours, if performing overtime duties.
Introduction of 38-hour week: Management have increased their offer for the proposed move to a 38-hour week.
Paid parental leave: This entitlement has been increased from 14 to 16 weeks, and paid partner leave increased from 10 days to 8 weeks.
Annual leave penalty payments for shift workers: Secured
Time off in lieu of Overtime at OT rates: Secured
CAS increment system: Secured
Redundancy entitlements: Won back previously cut redundancy entitlements – including a new increase to the maximum cap of 90 weeks redundancy as opposed to CSL’s previous proposed cut to 36 weeks.
Still more work to do
While the progress above is positive, it is important to remember we have been fighting just to hang on to conditions you already have under the current Enterprise Agreement. The good news is that the Protected Industrial Action union members have taken so far has made a real difference. If we want to secure even more progress, we will need to take more action.
Bargaining continues
Bargaining is continuing with the assistance of the Fair Work Commission and your unions will be focused on trying to get positive outcomes on the following issues:
- CSL’s proposal to increase weekly ordinary hours from 36.75 to 38.00
- Shift lengths and rotating patterns
- Protecting the 9-day fortnight and RDO accrual work pattern
- Severance pay triggered by changed shift patterns
- Right to 3 months of unchanged shift patterns
- Obligation on CSL to seek volunteers and offer opportunities to transfer when making changes to work patterns.
Show me the money
Pressure from union members has also compelled CSL to improve the uplift component of their pay offer from 3.4% to 5.04%. However, in our view, the new offer still needs further improvement, including increased hours of work for day and shift workers, 12-hour shift lengths, regular day/night shift rotations, and more. They are giving with one hand and taking with the other. At the end of the day, CSL is a highly profitable company and can easily afford to make a better offer.
Protected Industrial Action
Protected Industrial Action (PIA) continued last week on Friday 30 August with work stoppages up to 1 hour and bans on overtime duty.
A further notice has been served today to escalate to the following actions on Friday 6 September:
- Work stoppages of 1 hour and 15 minutes
- Bans on the performance of overtime duty
- Bans on the availability for on call and emergency call back duty
We have built strong momentum with our first two weeks of Protected Industrial Action. Now is the time for all members to stand united and take Protected Industrial Action to pressure CSL and continue moving their bargaining position in the right direction. Click on the link to download FAQ sheet with instructions on how to support the industrial action and a template email you can use to notify your manager. Please ensure you copy the union into your notification email as well. (cc [email protected] ) Alternatively, you may send a screenshot of your notification to me if you are sending a text.
Stronger Together
ou are not alone in making a difference and putting pressure on CSL to shift their bargaining position. Together with your CPSU comrades, as well as union members from the ETU, AMWU and UWU, we are all united in participating in these actions to help secure a better CSL Seqirus Enterprise Agreement.
Crunch time is coming – what you can do
As you have read, CSL are taking a tough line in negotiations, and it is likely that we will have to fight to protect conditions and win a fair pay rise. Are you up for this?
- If you are not yet a union member, now is the time to join
- If you are a union member, please talk to your workmates about joining the union and supporting our campaign for better pay and conditions
- If you want to know more about what is at stake and how union campaigning works, please talk to your workplace union delegate or contact your CPSU organiser Oreno Luka on 0400 239 187 or [email protected]