You voted NO (hopefully), now vote YES
It is confusing, we know. But bear with us here.
Over the past few days, members would have voted in an online ballot as to whether accept Serco’s proposed Enterprise Agreement.
The CPSU NSW opposed this offer as it was fundamentally inadequate compensation for the work you do. We have made our opposition to that offer well known, and will find out tomorrow whether the majority of CCOs have followed that advice. If not and the agreement is accepted, then it will probably be approved by the Fair Work Commission and enterprise bargaining is finished (and with it any opportunity to improve your pay and conditions) until 2023.
In the meantime, members would have received in their mail at home a set of voting papers from the Australian Electoral Commission regarding industrial action called a Protected Action Ballot Order (PABO).
If Serco’s agreement is rejected, we resume enterprise bargaining. But what is clear now is that Serco will not listen to common sense alone, nor treat you with the same level of respect it does its other employees interstate.
It is said if you keep doing the same thing, you will keep getting the same result. If we resume enterprise bargaining the way it was, we may end up at the same impasse.
We need a circuit breaker. And that is what industrial action is.
The voting papers in your mail are, as required by law, a poll to demonstrate that the majority of our membership want to take industrial action.
They do not mean we are going to do all of the actions proposed immediately, if at all. But they give us some powerful cards at the bargaining table, and give you back the power in these negotiations as should be the case.
All you are asking of Serco is a Fair Go. This is the time where we stop just asking and demand it of them.
WHAT YOU NEED TO DO
We will only be able to take industrial action if AT LEAST HALF of our members vote in this ballot, and AT LEAST HALF of them vote in favour of the proposed actions.
So please, if you want change, if you want better pay and working conditions and you want to support your colleagues:
Life gets busy, so don’t put this aside to do it later – do not delay and do not miss this chance!
If you have any queries, please do not hesitate to contact either:
One of your local workplace delegates – Tammy Priddle, Tyson Franke, Alex Paull or Tom Bloomquist;
Tom Whitton at the Grafton District office on
The CPSU NSW through its Member support Centre on 1300 772 679
Finally, if this ballot is successful and we may take industrial action as a result, only CPSU NSW members can do so. Obviously the more members we have the more powerful the action is, so please have that conversation with your colleagues and have them join today at www.cpsunsw.org.au/join
