At the enterprise bargaining meeting three weeks ago, the National Heavy Vehicle Regulator (NHVR) finally tabled their much anticipated draft enterprise agreement.
As the document had only been circulated a day before the meeting, your CPSU representatives did not have adequate time to dissect it and that meeting was largely for them to walk us through it.
In the next two weeks we met to pick over its detail and what we discovered was alarming.
For Victorian, Tasmanian and South Australian CPSU members who are currently employed under the NHVR On-Roads enterprise agreement, an increase in the working week to 38 hours by the removal of the current paid meal break – effectively an increase of 130 hours of work (or three and a half weeks) per year:
For NSW CPSU members who are currently employed under the RMS Award an increase to a 38 hour week as above with those hours being paid at the current hourly rate as the only increase to resume ration in a cost of living crisis;
The removal of the mechanics qualification as a pre-requisite or an allowance criteria;
Travel time not being recognised as overtime;
Reductions for some members in the maximum payment in the event of redundancy (20 weeks rather than 52 weeks), clearing the path for NHVR to shed positions;
A reduction in the number of RDOs (2 days instead of 5 days) that may be banked or carried forward;
Lower night penalties;
Watered down disciplinary procedures;
Changes to the composition of the Joint Consultative Committee that marginalise the standing of unions.
Last week and in meetings moving forward the CPSU has focussed on reversing these cuts. What is even more concerning is NHVR’s seeming confidence that the agreement in its current form honours their side of the bargain and would be acceptable to our members.
At the start of the enterprise bargaining process and several times since your management have described it as “harmonisation” – bringing the jurisdictions together under one operational banner.
But it is now clear that our understanding of harmonisation wildly differs. For the CPSU it means bringing all employees equally to the best available set of employment conditions. A rising tide floats all boats approach. But for for NHVR it means all parties lose a little – except them.
We have made it unequivocally clear to NHVR that this agreement cannot stand and if they put it to ballot we will oppose it and recommend members “Vote No” to the offer and they will lose. Hopefully harmonisation hasn’t made them completely tone deaf.