Last Monday and Tuesday (24th & 25th October) the EBA bargaining team held further negotiations with company representatives.

Unfortunately it has become apparent over the preceding weeks that Emirates wants to freeze the wage rates that it pays, give many employees no wage increase at all for the next 3 or 4 years as well as take away other key conditions from the EBA.

Emirates Claims
Emirates has clearly highlighted their intention to target your terms and conditions of employment.

They want to;

  • Freeze the pay scales so the current rates don’t go up at all over the life of the Agreement.
  • Not give a large number of employees any pay increase at all for the next 3-4years.
  • Halve the current merit performance scheme.
  • Not apply any merit based pay increases to employees already at the end of the pay scales.
  • Take away the 5th week of annual leave for many shift workers.
  • Stop paying annual leave loading for some employees.
  • Change the rate at which long service leave is accrued for some employees so it takes up to 5 years longer to get the same amount of time off.
  • Remove some allowances
  • Have a shutdown clause that allows Emirates to temporarily close departments without paying you unless you use your own leave entitlements.

Single Bargaining Unit
USU/ASU representatives along with your nominated bargaining reps have agreed to work together.

After seeing the potential detrimental effect that Emirates claims would have on employees the bargaining representatives agreed that the expertise of the Union was absolutely required to help stave off this attack on your conditions. We have agreed to put our claims together so that there are one set of common claims.

Our claims include;

  • a fair wage increase for all employees
  • an increased redundancy package
  • provisions to ensure fair treatment and consultation

Bargaining Reps back USU/ASU
The bargaining reps agree that all staff need to attend a meeting conducted by the USU/ASU to hear about the full impacts that these proposed cuts have on you. They also recommend that people join the Union to help protect your conditions. Without people joining the Union there is no strength in bargaining and you will absolutely end up with an EBA that is worse off.

What next?
Make sure you come along to any meetings organised by the USU/ASU to hear a full briefing about the attack on your conditions. We will be conducting meetings over the next 2 weeks.

How do I join the USU/ASU?
Join online at www.usu.org.au/join or contact your Union Organiser Nick Herbert on 0419 761 320