An increasing number of employers are asking themselves why they should have to abide by the terms of an Enterprise Agreement with their workers and unions, when it would cost less money if they didn't. Many have come to the conclusion that they should simply escape the obligations of their agreements.
Enterprise Agreement (EB, EBA)
Less than a week after federal education minister Simon Birmingham urged universities to follow the example of Murdoch University in West Australia in terminating its enterprise agreement (EA), vice chancellors at another two universities launched actions designed to undermine staff unions and collective bargaining.
The National Tertiary Education Union (NTEU) said the Fair Work Commission鈥檚 decision on August 29 to agree to terminate Murdoch University鈥檚 enterprise agreement (EA), which covers more than 3000 staff, is extremely disappointing but not unexpected.
The test for terminating an agreement is very low. The agreement must be past its expiry date, negotiations for a replacement agreement must have been unsuccessful, termination must not be against the public interest and it must be considered 鈥渁ppropriate鈥 to do so.
Multinational giant Unilever, which owns Streets ice cream, has applied to the Fair Work Commission to terminate an enterprise agreement at its Minto plant in western Sydney. If the workers are forced back on to the award, they would suffer a significant loss in pay and conditions.聽
The Minto workers, members of the Australian Manufacturing Workers Union (AMWU), rejected a proposed agreement that would have seen new employees paid less and with worse conditions compared to existing workers.
CSIRO staff voted by 58% to approve a new enterprise agreement, in a second round of voting after the 70% No vote last October.
The CSIRO Staff Association said the new agreement restored rights including a commitment to secure, ongoing employment, flexible working hours and on-site childcare, which were not in the October deal.
鈥淲hile the new agreement represents a substantial improvement on the CSIRO鈥檚 first offer there is a long way to go to rebuild morale, trust and confidence among scientists, researchers and other staff,鈥 the Staff Association鈥檚 Sam Popovski said.
Production and maintenance workers at the Carter Holt Harvey Myrtleford site, who have been locked out by management for more than seven weeks, voted on June 8 and 9 to reject the company鈥檚 proposal for a new Enterprise Agreement covering the site.
The result of the secret ballot demonstrates that the company鈥檚 proposals are totally unacceptable to the workers.
Workers at Fletcher Insulation in Melbourne's south-eastern suburbs have been on indefinite strike since February 17 after being offered an Enterprise Agreement (EA) that would slash conditions, raise serious safety concerns and offer no pay rise.
Fletcher Insulation produces heat, fire and sound insulation for residential and business properties. New Zealand-owned Fletcher took over the Dandenong factory from ACI Glass several years ago.
Multinational timber industry giant Carter Holt Harvey has indefinitely locked out about 150 workers who are members of the Electrical Trades Union; Construction Forestry Mining and Energy Union; and the Australian Manufacturing Workers Union at the company's Myrtleford plyboard manufacturing site.
The lock out began at 2.30am on April 19.
It follows a breakdown in enterprise agreement negotiations between the company and unions.
Workers locked out of Parmalat's Echuca dairy processing plant since January 18 resoundingly rejected the factory's latest EBA offer.
The workers voted 67 to 1 against the unfair offer on March 3.
Australian Manufacturing Workers Union food secretary Tom Hale said the deal failed to address a large number of concerns relating to wages, leave, redundancy and contractor agreements.
President of the University of Sydney branch of the National Tertiary Education Union (NTEU) Kurt Iveson spoke to 麻豆传媒 Weekly鈥檚 Rachel Evans about the university鈥檚 鈥渟pill and fill鈥 tactic.
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What is happening to science administration staff? Have 110 staff been sacked?
The Western Australian Division of the National Tertiary Education Union (NTEU) released this statement on December 9.
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In a move unprecedented in the Higher Education sector Murdoch University management have applied to the Fair Work Commission to terminate the enterprise agreement covering academic and general staff at the University.
The Young Workers Centre at Victorian Trades Hall on Facebook on November 17 calling on burger restaurant chain Grill鈥檇 to 鈥淪top the scam鈥.
A Grill鈥檇 employee has come forward, accusing the chain of using traineeships as an excuse to pay lower wages. Employees are being signed up to hospitality certificates, but the business refuses to schedule regular training sessions.
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