Your Union and Delegates attended a meeting with management on Tuesday 18th December 2018 in Sydney along with officials and delegates from the ETU and Professionals.

The meeting was to discuss the outcome of Phase 1 and Management’s plans for commencing Phase 2.

To cut a near 3 hour meeting short all Unions made it clear to management;

1. Unions will not support a zero tolerance
2. Unions will not support urine testing
3. Unions believe the current policies and procedures are sufficient, Management should fully apply these, increase testing, review the outcome after 12 months. Essential Energy are currently only testing at 26% of the workforce.

Management are claiming that they want to introduce their new policy and procedure on the basis that to not introduce a zero tolerance is a risk to the Health and Safety of staff, and a risk to Essential Energy!

Given Management’s own statistics do not support such an assertion, we say continue with the existing policy and procedures.

We have also put to Management that if they are truly concerned about the health and welfare of their staff, then their priority should be to deal with and manage our members’ concerns relating to fatigue, Harassment and Bullying, and workplace stress. These three issues remain as ongoing risks to our members’ health and safety are not being dealt with by management in any appropriate manner.

Currently your union is assisting a significant number of our members who are suffering from being harassed and bullied at the workplace.

Your Union believes these issues should be a priority rather than an attempt by Management to intrude into the personal lives of our members by attempting to introduce such an intrusive Drug and alcohol testing.

Phase 2
Your Union recommends that our members do not participate in any processes where members have a discretion to participate. Your Union recommends that our members be very careful what personal information they disclose to Management. If you are going to self-test, then only do such a test in the privacy of your home.

If you have any questions or concerns, contact your local delegate or Organiser

Essential Energy Officials
North Coast, Central West and North West – Melissa Pond mobile 0408 620 741 or mpond@usu.org.au
Southern Region – Rudi Oppitz mobile 0409 662 460 or roppitz@usu.org.au

Essential Energy Delegates
Leanne New Mudgee
Daniel Welsh Port Macquarie
Ruth Smallwood Port Macquarie
Linda Thompson Port Macquarie
Judy Cutler Port Macquarie
Peter Arnull Grafton
Peter Anderson Tamworth
Mark Lenton Broken Hill
Bryan Spangler Broken Hill
Mardi Henman Leeton