Your Official Melissa Pond attended meetings with affected members in Port Macquarie on the 3rd July to hear their concerns. Following this, Official Melissa Pond, and Manager Peter Campise attended a meeting in Sydney with High Level Managers to discuss members’ concerns and put proposals to Essential to consider.

These concerns were;

  • That the consultation period was not long enough for affected employees to be able to adequately put their views across to Management for consideration.
  • That Essential Energy failed in its obligations in accordance with the Enterprise Agreement to provide enough information to affected employees to allow them to properly consider their responses in the time period.
  • That the information provided to affected employees was not consistent across the organisation and affected employees were confused by the mixed messages received by some managers.
  • That managers in some sections have told employees that Voluntary Redundancies will not be considered and that selections will be done through the Merit Based selection process.
  • That some affected employees had been told that they could not be considered for certain positions currently held by Labour Hire Employees.

The Unions proposals include;

  • That Voluntary Redundancies should be considered in Merit Based selections where Multiple Incumbent Reductions are being considered to reduce the overall impact on affected employees.
  • That the Consultation Process be extended to allow for affected employees to be able to properly consider their options and provide responses to management. We have proposed 4 weeks.
  • That Essential Energy provide all information necessary to affected employees including the impact that this may have on them and their position, why the area was selected, why that position has been considered. This will then allow the affected employees to be able to understand and put back information to Management that may not previously have been considered.
  • That all affected employees must be cross-matched with current Labour Hire positions in order to be able to provide options for affected employees should their redundancy go ahead and they wish to elect redeployment.
  • That people staying in affected areas be properly consulted on the impacts that the employees leaving may have on their teams and properly consider all feedback from the employees left.

The USU has also made contact with the Premier’s Department and have call for a meeting with the Premier as a matter of urgency following the Premier’s concession that the NSW State Government gave an assurance that no regional public service jobs would be lost. The USU is determined to put our case to the Premier that the NSW Government must uphold their commitment to all regional public service employees including Essential Energy Employees.

The USU will also join the ETU in the Fair Work Commission in Sydney tomorrow Friday 5th July in an urgent hearing regarding our dispute over the manner in which the redundancy process has been handled. The Unions believe that Essential Energy have breach provisions of the Enterprise Agreement by not providing affected employees and employees in affected areas all relevant information regarding the reasons, for the affected areas, affected positions and impacts that this may have on affected employees and employees who will be left to work in affected areas with reduced staff.

The USU will continue to update members as information comes to hand.

If you require any assistance please do not hesitate to contact your Delegate or Organiser whose contact details are listed or you can also contact the USU support Team on 1300 136 604.

If you or family member are feeling distressed please access your EAP Provider or your General Practitioner for support.

If you are not a member and wish to join you can do so at www.usu.org.au/join

Remember Unity is Strength!

USU Organisers
Melissa Pond – mpond@usu.org.au phone 0408 620 741
Mick Jones – mjones@usu.org.au phone 0450 020 589

USU Delegates
Port Macquarie and North Coast
Buller Street
Daniel Welsh – daniel.welsh@essentialenergy.com.au

Hindman Street
Linda Thompson – linda.thompson@essentialenergy.com.au
Judy Cutler – judy.cutler@essentialenergy.com.au
Ruth Smallwood – ruth.smallwood@essentialenergy.com.au

Grafton
Delegate Peter Arnull – peter.arnull@essentialenergy.com.au

Central West
Mudgee
Delegate Leanne New – leanne.new@essentialenergy.com.au

North West
Tamworth
Delegate Peter Anderson – peter.anderson@essentialenergy.com.au

South Coast
Riverina
Delegate Jason Bartlett – jason.bartlett@essentialenergy.com.au

Broken Hill
Delegate Mark Lenton – mark.lenton@essentialenergy.com.au