In one of our recent updates we outlined the Bank’s plan to undermine our campaign for a fair Enterprise Agreement by paying out increases before they’re agreed.
It is not appropriate that members’ payrises be used as a tool to undermine the collective campaign that we’ve built together.
Rather than meet your final few demands for a fair agreement, the CBA are lining up a last ditch divide and conquer manoeuvre.
We can’t afford to let this work, and we won’t be fooled by their slick messaging.
CBA have done this before. In 2010 they refused to talk to the union about any pay increases, and then went out with a unilateral offer to staff. A move plainly designed to undermine our collective power. The FSU took them to the Fair Work Commission and won, but the damage was done. We can’t afford to let this happen again.
This week we filed an application for Bargaining Orders in the Fair Work Commission. We’re seeking orders to prevent CBA from doing the same thing again. If we can get orders in place, it will mean that the CBA cannot pay increases until we’ve reached full agreement.
The FSU want you to get your pay increases as soon as possible. The only reason that can’t happen yet is because the Bank won’t move on our last few claims to make this agreement fair. Without 3% for everyone, RDOs maintained and a fairer contracting clause, this is an agreement that would hurt workers at CBA.
We can’t in good conscience agree to something like that, and we certainly won’t be held to ransom over pay increases.
Please share this information with your colleagues. As well as seeking orders to prevent a breach of Good Faith Bargaining, we’ve lodged a ballot for protected action. Only members can vote in that ballot. We all know one or two people who are supportive of our campaign but who haven’t joined the union just yet. If they join in the next few days, they can participate in that ballot.
We’ve put together some FAQs on this below:
When will we get our increases?
As soon as CBA work with us to make the agreement fair. Staff will be backpaid until 1 July 2020 regardless. Some outstanding issues are discussed in a youtube video here.
Why can’t they just agree to make it 3% for everyone and pay it now?
Great question. Ask the Bank!
Why is the union trying to stop our pay increases?
We’re sorry to say that this is fake news. We want nothing more than for this agreement to be one we can sign off on, and for fair increases to be paid, but we won’t be divided up or bullied into selling out our members in other ways to get increases paid by Christmas.
In Unity,
FSU