Legal action for One.Tel workers

Date: 03 June 2001

The CPSU has launched action in the Industrial Relations Commission (IRC) which, if successful, will ensure 1400 One.Tel staff receive 4 weeks redundancy pay, if the company folds.

The CPSU is calling on Federal Workplace Relations Minister, Tony Abbott, to formally support an interim Redundancy Award application. A hearing will be held before the IRC in Sydney tomorrow at 2.15pm.

The Finance Sector Union recently won similar benefits for members affected by the collapse of HIH.

CPSU spokesperson, Stephen Jones, said, "The Treasurer, Peter Costello, has already come out in support of One.Tel workers. This is a great opportunity for the Government to put words into action."

For Comment
Stephen Jones: 0417 261 152
Wendy Caird: 0418 970 833

Letter to Tony Abbot from CPSU

The Hon Anthony Abbott 3 June 2001
Minister for Workplace Relations
House of Representatives
Parliament House
Canberra ACT 2600 By Fax: 02 6273 4115
Dear Minister
GOVERNMENT SUPPORT FOR ONE.TEL EMPLOYEES

I am writing seeking your support for, and intervention in, an urgent application by the CPSU on behalf of the 1,400 employees of One.Tel in the Australian Industrial Relations Commission. The matter is to be heard before Commission Smith in Sydney at 2.15 tomorrow.

The CPSU is seeking an interim award to provide redundancy payments for our members in One.Tel. The award application, if successful would provide the 1,400 employees with an entitlement to around 4 weeks pay for each year of service, in addition to the statutory notice period. While this payment is modest considering the payments made to the departing CEO's of One.Tel, it is in line with the Federal Commissions Test Case, and well established community standards.

If we are not successful in obtaining this award these employees will have no entitlement to redundancy pay, because despite the long standing attempts by the CPSU, there is no safety net award for employees in this company. This would also mean that the employees would have no recourse to access redundancy payments from the Federal Government's Employee Entitlements Support Scheme.

Your right to intervene and assist the employees in this matter is assured by section 43(1) of the Workplace Relations Act 1996, and we feel it would be the best way to give effect to the sentiments expressed by the Treasurer in relation to One.Tel on Friday.

We wish to stress that this is not like the Bradmill situation where the Federal Government agreed to pay the accrued entitlements of the retrenched workers, as we believe that the responsibility for making the payments, if our case is successful, should rest with the company and its managers / directors.

Please contact me on 02 8294 6945 or 0417 261152 to discuss this at your earliest convenience.

Yours faithfully

Stephen Jones
Assistant Secretary
CPSU Communications Section

For further information

Contact:	Stephen Jones:
Union:	CPSU - National Office
Phone:	0417 261 152

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