STA infoline less than stellar

Date: 13 March 2000

Members of the public who rely on the NSW public transport system are suffering since State Transit outsourced their 131 500 timetable service to the controversial Stellar Call Centres.

Stellar employ 200 staff at Hornsby.

The Australian Services Union is greatly concerned about the dramatic drop in service levels as customers are forced to wait for basic timetabling inquiries. The ASU is also concerned about the staff at the call centre who are all on individual contracts (AWAs).

The union has received complaints from employees who say they were given no choice about these contracts which provide for much lower wages and working conditions than existed for State Transit employees doing the same job.

Stellar has already had a court ruling against them. It will have dramatic implications for the call centre industry and businesses across Australia regarding the issue of ?transmission of business?. This is now being fought in the High Court and should unions continue to win such court cases, Stellar may be forced to employ staff on the conditions employees once enjoyed at State Transit.

George Panigiris, Assistant Secretary of the ASU stated:

?We are very concerned that the NSW Government has chosen to deal with such a company. The employees are suffering - but ultimately, the public suffers as cost cutting becomes more important than providing a service to the taxpayer. The ASU intends to follow this issue to the end?

Stellar Call Centres Pty Ltd is a company created by Telstra. Telstra has outsourced some of its in-house call centre work (outside NSW) to Stellar. Stellar is an ambitious joint-venture with U.S. call centre specialists, Excell Global Services, which are based in Phoenix Arizona.

Telstra owns 50% of Stellar Call Centres Pty Ltd.

For further enquiries:
Sally McManus: 9310 4000 or 0419 433 419

For further information

Contact:	Sally McManus
Union:	ASU Services
Phone:	0419 433 419
Email:	sally@asu.org.au

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