Telecommunications
Telstra now champions human rights
(16 February, 2009): Today's edition of The Australian contains a piece that will make you double take so hard you'll hear your neck click.
The article is titled: "Telstra attacks human rights record".
It quotes from a Telstra submission to a national human rights inquiry. Its comments were so strident that even the Chair of the Panel, Father Brennan was quoted as saying: "I was surprised that a corporate entity was as emphatic as they were."
We encourage you to read the article and let us know what you think of the following quote contained within it:
"...the company is particularly interested in values such as due process and free speech, "given the highly regulated nature of much of its business".
We absolutely agree in the importance of free speech within our society - a right that is not surrendered the minute you walk into your workplace.
If Telstra has become such a defender of due process and free speech tell us why they sacked an employee last year for revealing that Telstra had misled its workforce and employees on why it walked away from wage talks with its employees' unions?
Read more right here, "Accountability, Telstra style" and an accompanying article "Free Speech, Telstra style"
Another Telstra submission about rights...
Right now a Senate Inquiry is travelling the country to hear from people about the Federal Government's proposed changes to workplace laws.
The CEPU will be appearing before the Inquiry in Canberra on Thursday.
Our submission can be downloaded here.
Telstra has also put in a submission. The key points made by the latest corporate converts to human rights and free speech are stunning. Here are the highlights (if they can be described this way):
- That there should be "employer Greenfield agreements" - where it is easier for them to claim they are setting up a new business and then set conditions for new employees without these employees having a say on what the conditions and pay rates should be
- They argue that unions should individually sign up members to an authority before we can bargain for them - instead of employers recognising the long standing wishes and preferences of their employees to be members of unions that can help them in their workplace
- They think unions shouldn't have the ability, ever, to be covered by or party to an agreement
- Unfair dismissal protections should be weakened
- They believe the government should WEAKEN the ability of court action to address breaches of agreements
- They think union right of entry should be even harder and more difficult to obtain than what is in WorkChoices already - that the only way a union should get right of entry is if a member sticks up their hand in a workplace and calls for the union to come in
- And finally - and here's the gem - Telstra want the operation of the good faith bargaining provisions in the bill to be "clarified" on a number of fronts, particularly on the definition of what constitutes prohibited "unfair" or "capricious" conduct.
Who would have figured that Telstra would want a clarification of what constitutes "unfair" behaviour in good faith bargaining.
Telstra's amazing submission can be read here
Don't say we didn't warn you about the double take...
Let us know your thoughts via feedback@cepu.asn.au