Telstra workers farewell Sol Trujillo

Telstra workers took their campaign for a new enterprise bargaining agreement to the streets on May 27, with a farewell to former Telstra CEO Sol Trujillo.

Branch secretary of the Communications, Electrical and Plumbing Union (communications division) Len Cooper pointed out that Trujillo had collected $30 million in cash and bonuses from Telstra, while Telstra management refused to negotiate with the union over the last two years.

This is the first Telstra Enterprise Bargaining Agreement (EBA) to be negotiated by the union under a fully privatised Telstra. The union also has to deal with the anti-union provisions in the Rudd government's Fair Work Act.

Cooper told Green Left Weekly that Telstra management is refusing to negotiate a new EBA with the union because the union refuses to accept Telstra's "Part A/Part B" agreement, which would mean new employees and those coming off individual contracts onto a collective agreement would have inferior working conditions to current employees.

Telstra has also tried to bribe people to vote for non-union collective agreements by offering a higher pay rise. This was voted down in all unionised areas.

Telstra workers in highly unionised areas have been carrying out industrial action for five months now. In some areas, workers are going on strike every second day. In other areas, workers walk off the job at critical times.

From GLW issue 797