USU @ Essential Energy: EA Update

The Combined Unions met with Management on Thursday 29^th July and tabled an offer to the Unions for consideration.

While the offer is a good first offer, Management had not properly addressed all of the Union’s claims and some key claims in particular such as Job security and a remote working allowance for employees working from home.

The unions considered Managements offer and met back with Management in the afternoon and tabled a response to accept a number of proposals and to reject a number of proposals mainly on the basis that the proposals in question had not properly considered key aspects of our claim. We also requested that management provide a written response to all of our claims and gave them a week to do so.

Like Management, the combined unions do not wish to drag out negotiations and we hope to conclude negotiations and bring you a good in principle offer for consideration as soon as we can.

To review Management’s offer, see below, in the meantime the working parties established to work through working from home and classification pathways are still progressing and will table a report back to the bargaining table when we met again soon.

Management offer, as outlined below:

2.5% Wage Increase per annum
ESRA to increase by 2.5% per annum
3-year Agreement
On Call Allowance increase to $348 per week
Recall first two hours increase to double time
Superannuation paid on Parental Leave
Parental Leave increase to 18 weeks
Access to Parental Leave anytime in first 12 months after birth
To recognise inclusion of permanent Forster Carer or Grandparent
Dedicated leave due to cessation of pregnancy or miscarriage
Improvements to definition of immediate family
Improvements to Compassionate Leave.
Recognition of working from home to be a choice to do permanently

Thanks go to our great Negotiating Team, comprising of USU Delegates and Representatives from across divisions and regions who are very active in progressing your claims.

For further information, please contact your USU Bargaining Reps or Organiser Melissa Pond.