'Communications contractors rebel'.

Date: 27 November 2003

COMMUNICATIONS CONTRACTORS SAY 'PAY UP TELSTRA, WE'RE NOT TAKING IT ANYMORE'.
Telecommunications contractors installing broadband products for Telstra and cable television for Foxtel have stood up to the telecommunications giant and it's partner Foxtel and said they will no longer take the poor conditions and rates of pay they have been subject to for the last few years.

These sub-contractors have got organised and sought the assistance of the CEPU-Communications Division in preparation for a battle for decent working conditions instead of the exploitation they have faced in recent years. Recently Telstra has terminated it's contracts with a number of companies who in turn sub-contract the work to small contractors. Telstra uses this ploy to remain at 'arms length' from the sub-contractors and avoid the associated employment costs and responsibility for occupational health and safety issues. Telstra has entered into contracts with multinational companies Siemens-Thiess and ABB. However, the sub-contractors on whom they will depend have refused to enter into contracts with these companies until they get the improvements they want with the new companies. Amongst the log of claims served on the companies by the CEPU are a fair price for materials, sub-contractors have been in a position of paying more for materials than they are able to recover, extra payments for out of hours work ie. Sunday's, payment on time for completed work, a fair process for grievance handling, sub-contractors have been subject to disciplinary/dismissal processes without any rights. They also demand an increase in the rates paid for each job. Progress has been made on many of the issues in the log of claims after CEPU & ETU officials Len Cooper and Howard Worthing met with the two companies, however at this stage no offer has been made by the companies on the basic rates. In meetings convened by the CEPU (Communications & Electrical Divisions) the sub-contractors have made it clear they will not be signing contracts with either company. 'They refuse to accept having to continuously go backwards in their income' says Len Cooper State Secretary of the Communications Division of the CEPU. The union and the contractors are standing firm on the issue that no contracts will be signed until the two companies meet the demand for increased rates for the installation jobs. The sub-contractors will meet again on Monday 1st December 2003 to hear reports on the negotiations and to decide whether the contract on offer is good enough. The sub-contractors have indicated that they are prepared to hold out until their demands are met.

For comment contact:
Len Cooper on 0438 389302

28 NOVEMBER 2003

For further information

Contact:	Len Cooper
Union:	CEPU Victorian branch
Phone:	03 9387 3703
Contact Mobile:	0438 389302
WWW:	http://www.cepu.asn.au

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