By now you will have had time to consider the proposed Agreement put forward by TransGrid.
It was a tough 15 months of negotiations that has culminated in TransGrid putting forward the following offer:
- People on SPs 30-34 (current and future) who accept an IEA will have the right to revert to the Agreement. That is to say, by reverting to the Agreement, ALL of your conditions and entitlements will be as per the Agreement.
That said, your right to revert will only be available to you for a period of 18 months, meaning you will be stuck on these arrangements if you choose not to revert. By not reverting within this timeframe, you will be forgoing your 9 day fortnight & overtime payments for good. Our position is that the 9 day fortnight is an entitlement that our members feel strongly about & people may run the risk of forgoing this entitlement for good should the Agreement be approved by the FWC and people sign an IEA;
- 2% increase on a “yes” vote, 2% payable on certification by the FWC, 2% in December of 2018, and a final 2% in December of 2019; and
- Family Violence Leave will increase from 5 days p/a to 10 days p/a.
We are asking our members to consider very carefully whether they believe these outcomes to be satisfactory prior to casting a vote. Further, if you will be impacted by the introduction of IEAs at SP 30, we ask that you consider the prospect very carefully before committing to a vote. It is ONE PERSON, ONE VOTE – there is no capacity to change your mind after you’ve cast your vote.
Other change to the Agreement include:
- Acting in Higher Grade payments will only apply after 3+ days. It currently applies after 1 hour; and
- The formation of a joint working group to review role classifications throughout the life of the Agreement.
This Agreement will dictate the terms & conditions of your employment until December 2020, therefore, we stress to our members that they must consider their vote carefully prior to submitting it.
If you or someone you know isn’t a member of our union, please ask them to join online at www.usu.org.au/join.
Members who refer others for membership will be eligible for a payment of $50 per member joined. Claim forms for those who refer members are available from your organiser, or by calling our Membership Support Centre on 1300 136 604.
Need help?
If you have any questions, please don’t hesitate to contact your delegate/s or Troy Dunne, USU Energy Sector Organiser, on 0419 403 076 and tdunne@usu.org.au or Melissa Pond mpond@usu.org.au or 0408 620 741.
