ELECTRICITY workers across regional NSW could step up industrial action, after Essential Energy rejected an offer to end an ongoing dispute with the union over a new workplace agreement .
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The combined unions wrote to Essential Energy management offering to resolve the dispute by having outstanding differences dealt with by the Fair Work Commission through an arbitration process.
In a letter to Essential Energy’s acting chief executive Gary Humphries, Electrical Trades Union (ETU) secretary Steve Butler offered to agree to a consent arbitration paving the way for the Fair Work Commission to resolve the matter through a binding decision on both parties.
“Essential Energy responded by rejecting the union’s offer, instead saying that they are determined to press ahead with their unprecedented application to cancel the existing agreement that, if successful, would result in thousands of regional workers losing their jobs or being left worse off through the loss of pay and conditions,” Mr Butler said.
“It’s now clear that rather than resolve this dispute through the use of the independent umpire, Essential Energy would rather spend taxpayer’s money and continue with their callous attack on regional workers leaving these people with no option but to consider escalating the dispute.”
According to Mr Butler the decision has the potential to “intensify (their) protected industrial action through more frequent and longer work stoppages, likely to be 24 hour stoppages”.
“To date Essential Energy have rejected all offers made by the combined unions and are refusing to budge from their demands of mass sackings.
“Management’s letter rejecting a resolution to this dispute is further example of Essential Energy’s pig headed refusal to shift on their demands or attempt to bring the dispute to an end through the use of the Fair Work Commission.
“The combined union’s offer to resolve this dispute once and for all has been rejected making it clear that the company has a different agenda, one that will involve continued attacks on regional workers and an escalation in industrial action.”
Essential Energy chief executive Gary Humphries said the parties “remain a considerable distance apart in relation to their respective claims”.
“As a business that faces many challenges, Essential Energy and its employees require a modern, flexible Enterprise Agreement that enables us to become more efficient and to reduce unnecessary costs to customers while delivering a safe, reliable, sustainable electricity network for regional and rural NSW,” Mr Humphries said.
“These clear objectives cannot be put at risk by asking a third party to decide whether such important changes that are urgently required will be implemented (and) we will continue to bargain in good faith for a new Enterprise Agreement that balances the needs of employees, customers and the business.”
Meantime, the Electrical Trades Union (ETU) and Professionals Australia have notified Essential Energy that their members propose to take further protected industrial action commencing Wednesday May 11.
