Telstra Wholesale GMD Kate McKenzie today announced that she has started discussions with her employees to develop an Employee Collective Agreement (ECA) in her business unit.
Making the announcement at the start of her national road show in Sydney on Monday, Kate guaranteed her employees that any Telstra Wholesale Collective agreement will protect entitlements like redundancy pay, grandfathering, parental, annual and long service leave, penalties and hours of work.
“We’re offering our people the chance to develop a Collective Agreement that suits them and suits our business,” Kate said.
Over the next few weeks Telstra Wholesale’s managers will talk with their people about what they would value most in a new agreement.
“We think it’s best to talk directly to our people, understand what is important to them and reach an agreement on those things– so we can get on with being a competitive business,” Kate said.
Andrea Grant, Telstra’s Human Resources Group Managing Director, said that while Telstra Wholesale was first to consider an ECA, other business units are also considering ways to continue offering attractive terms and conditions, although no decisions have yet been made.
Telstra will continue to provide employees with information and keep them up to date with any further developments.
Message from GMD Kate McKenzie to all staff
Dear team
At Telstra Wholesale, we are committed to building an organisation that is a great place to work. That means rewarding performance and offering terms and conditions that attract and retain the best people.
As part of our commitment, we have started discussions with our employees about an Employee Collective Agreement (ECA) following the recent end of Telstra’s negotiations with the unions.
Proposed Employee Collective Agreement for Wholesale employees
We believe that the best approach for us is to explore an Employee Collective Agreement (ECA) for those Wholesale people who are employed on the current EA or an Australian Workplace Agreement (AWA) that has passed its expiry date.
An ECA is simply an agreement which formalises the relationship between an employer and an employee by detailing the terms and conditions of employment. Any proposed ECA would be subject to a ballot of our Wholesale people who are eligible to participate.
Given the size and function of our business, I feel it makes sense for us to look at an agreement that suits the needs of our people. Such an agreement is something many of you have told us you would like to see.
Our commitment to you
In developing an agreement, we will preserve those entitlements we know are important to you, including:
- redundancy pay
- grandfathering
- parental leave
- personal and annual leave
- long service leave
- penalties and allowances
- hours of work.
Seeking your views
We believe it is essential we hear from you directly on what matters most to you.
While we may not be able to incorporate all your requirements, we will certainly listen to what you say and develop an agreement that is fair and protects those things you value most.
If you are on the EA or an AWA that has passed its expiry date, your manager will invite you to participate in a discussion session between 11 and 15 August, so you can share your views.
I encourage you to take advantage of this opportunity. We value your views and are keen to hear from you directly.
Keeping you informed
We understand that the development of an Employee Collective Agreement requires your continued involvement so we will keep you informed. If you have any questions in the meantime, please speak with your manager or refer your queries to Wholesale HR.
Kind regards
Kate
Kate McKenzie
Group Managing Director
Telstra Wholesale