It’s been over a year since Rex suddenly announced that the company would be going into voluntary administration, which led to nationwide redundancies and uncertainty for remaining staff. Your USU was with members every step of the way, keeping the company to account on paying out the correct rate of entitlements, and providing greater clarity to members who retained employment.
Finally, after months of negotiations, Rex has found a buyer – Air T.
Putting members first – USU keeping a close eye on the Rex sale!
Our national branch the ASU met with Rex this week for an introduction with Air T. We know this has been a long time coming and is a relief to many members that the company has finally found a buyer.
The USU/ASU will continue to support members throughout this transition. We will stay closely involved in discussions with the administrators and Air T, which includes seeking clear information as plans develop, and ensuring that members’ interests are represented at every stage.
In addition to the company sale, EA negotiations are currently underway at Rex. This is a separate process to the company sale, so members can rest assured that even though there’s going to be a change in ownership, their pay and conditions are still looking to improve!
The latest on Rex enterprise agreement negotiations!
ASU/USU representatives have met with Rex to continue bargaining for better pay and improved conditions. In our latest meeting on 23 October, we discussed pay and classifications proposals to ensure that the company delivers decent pay rises over the next period of the new agreement, and to ensure that improvements to staff classifications can continue to be negotiated during the life of the agreement if they cannot be resolved in the negotiations.
What is the pay classifications review?
Members have raised in this round of EA negotiations, as well as the previous round, that the Rex pay table and classifications must be reviewed to ensure that members are paid the correct rate for the work that they perform, and their pay can reflect their years of service with the company. This review was meant to commence within 3 months of the current agreement coming into effect.
However, with the sudden financial upheavals at Rex, placing the company into voluntary administration and making many staff redundant, this process fell by the wayside. As your union, we want to ensure that members are afforded adequate time to consider classification changes and make proposals. This has been difficult to accomplish with the uncertainty of the Rex administration, as most members’ priority has been work stability and ongoing employment.
What is the current pay proposal?
Rex bumped up their original pay offer of a minimum 2% annual pay increase, to an offer of CPI increases or the FWC Modern Award increase (whichever is greater), increasing the floor to 2.5% (from 2%) and a ceiling of 5%, and introduce a payment of 1% on base salary in lieu of the Profit Share payment.
The USU/ASU raised concerns that we didn’t want members to be locked into a long-term agreement if it meant members had to risk the possibility of only receiving the 2.5% minimum increase. Therefore, we proposed to have a short-term agreement of 2 years to ensure that we can continue negotiations earlier than the usual 3-4 year term, and to provide an impetus to the company to complete a thorough review of pay classifications.
Next steps for members at Rex!
As the company sale is being processed, your USU/ASU will be having ongoing meetings with the administrators and Air T. We’ll be providing members with updates on key milestones, including creditor approval and Federal Court confirmation. EA bargaining is continuing in parallel, so members can look forward to updates on their new agreement as well!
We want to hear from you!
If you have any questions regarding the Rex sale or EA negotiations, contact your USU organiser Lyndal Butler on 0419 761 320 or lbutler@usu.org.au
We have only been able to achieve these wins through the strength of our membership, so if you’re not currently a member of the USU, now is the time to join! Just head to www.usu.org.au/join
If you are a USU member and you know a colleague who would like to join, don’t forget to claim your $50 Sign Up a Mate thank you payment. Find out more details here: www.usu.org.au/mate
We’re also on the lookout for members who may want to be more involved in the EA bargaining process, or to step up as a workplace delegate! If you would like to know more about becoming a union delegate or bargaining representative, at Rex or one of our other airlines, you can contact your organiser Lyndal Butler on 0419 761 320 or or lbutler@usu.org.au
