As you will be aware, your union has commenced negotiations for a replacement of your Enterprise Agreement.

Endeavour Energy has tabled its Log of Claims and it has to be said that there are several items that ring alarm bells.

Endeavour have made claims on the following items:

  • Transfer of office/depot (clause 4.4 of Appendix B) – Endeavour Energy wish to reduce the amount of time this allowance is payable down from 6 months to 3 months.
  • A “modest pay increase that is mindful of our financial position and productivity.” They are yet to table any figures.
  • Long Service Leave (clause 18) – Endeavour seek to grandparent existing Long Service Leave which would see new employees attract the vastly inferior long service leave provisions of the NSW Long Service Leave Act 1955.
  • Payment of overtime travel (clause 13.2) – Endeavour wish to cease making these payments.
  • Payment of stand down after overtime (clause 13.2) – Endeavour wish to cease payment of stand down after overtime that exceeds 8 hours.

As you will no doubt notice, these claims represent a big shift away from hard won, long standing entitlements that make Endeavour Energy an employer of choice.

In other claims, Endeavour also wish to vastly reduce the scope of matters that can be subjected to dispute proceedings, thereby placing their employees at a greater disadvantage if they seek to access the dispute resolution process. Your union is fundamentally opposed to this claim. Indeed, we are opposed to all of the monetary claims shown above.

Please be reminded that your union delegates representing you during these negotiations are:

• Gary “Box” Dowers – Penrith Pole Yard
• Sara Baxter – H’wood
• Tracey Turner – H’wood
• Dave Johnson – Hoxton Park
• Stuart Kirk – Glendenning

Please feel free to provide your feedback on Endeavour’s claims to Troy Dunne at tdunne@usu.org.au