As you will probably be aware, Endeavour Energy has decided that it will proceed to a vote on a new Enterprise Agreement in the coming weeks.  By way of background, Endeavour Energy contacted your union and the other unions at approximately 5pm on Friday 4 June seeking that we make ourselves available for a meeting with your CEO on Monday 7 June at 4pm.

It was not foreshadowed that the agenda of the meeting would be to advise us that Endeavour would be progressing towards a vote on the Agreement.

To say we are disappointed with the approach Endeavour are taking in this regard is an understatement; this approach poses a significant risk to the respectful working relationship achieved by the parties over the course of your current Agreement – your union takes a strong view that Endeavour Energy’s actions and decisions on Friday the 4th and Monday the 7th are a sign of the utmost disrespect.  

Despite rhetoric coming out of Endeavour about the increase being in excess of current CPI, they are omitting the fact, a fact that they are aware of, that CPI is forecast to increase in excess of the current figures in the foreseeable future.  Further, we take issue with your CEO’s comments that, “bargaining can sometimes be a game of offers and counteroffers.”  This language is offensive – negotiating the wages and conditions of members’ and workers’ entitlements is not a game.  Outcomes delivered in these negotiating forums ensure people keep up with the cost of living.

The combined unions will be running a NO campaign in an effort to bring the business back to the table to get on with the important business, and not the game, of negotiating a fair and reasonable wages outcomes.  We encourage you to distribute this bulletin amongst your colleagues and ask them to join the USU in fighting for a fairer deal.

Please see below a letter sent by the combined unions yesterday, 8 June.

We are writing to you in regards to the Endeavour Energy proposal to put the company non union agreement proposal out to a vote on the 17th of June 2021. The combined unions requests the following information from Endeavour Energy in order to satisfy good faith bargaining requirements.

    • Who is the proposed ballot agent?
    • Will the ballot be conducted entirely online or is in person voting available?
    • What dates and times will be ballot be conducted between?
    • Is Endeavour intending to hold depot visits or information sessions for this ballot?
    • If so please provide times, locations and dates for these meetings as the unions will also provide officials for attendance at these meeting.
    • The Combined unions also request approval for paid meetings during the access period to discuss the company proposal with our members.

The Unions would also like to appoint scrutineers to supervise the ballot process and to ensure the ballot is counted fairly, can your ballot agent please be notified in advance.

In the interests of good faith bargaining, the combined unions feel obliged to point out to Endeavour the detrimental impacts of its behaviour before it embarks on this process. The combined unions are disappointed that Endeavour has chosen to betray the trust and good faith extended to them during this period of enterprise bargaining and the redundancy policy negotiations.  Instead of respecting the role of the combined unions as the representatives of your workforce, Endeavour is choosing to ignore the advice of unions and take a non-union approved agreement out to ballot.   

Without union backing a No vote is a forgone conclusion. Nonetheless we acknowledge the company’s right under current workplace laws to destroy the working relationship between the unions and your CEO, HR and the employee representatives.

If you have any questions and this email or require any assistance at work, please contact Troy Dunne on 0419 403 076 or via email at tdunne@usu.org.au.