Essential Energy disputes union claims
Essential Energy says it employs about 3,100 people across regional and rural NSW and is “reforming its business to meet changing customer expectations and an evolving energy sector”.
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“Rumours about future workforce reductions and depot closures are purely speculation at this stage and do not help our employees as we address the challenges our business faces and the opportunities that lie ahead,” Chief Executive Officer John Cleland.
“On the day the Fair Work Commission’s Workplace Determination was delivered, Essential Energy had 31 redeployees who had remained employed without a substantive role for more than 12 months.
“The Commission’s decision, which was effective immediately, directed that redeployees had the option to leave the business in the next four weeks and receive up to 72 weeks’ payment plus entitlements, or stay on and continue to be paid for the next six months with an option to take a maximum 44-week exit payment at any time.”
Unrelated to the Fair Work Commission’s decision, Essential Energy said it notified ten senior contract managers and eight employees under a separate Enterprise Agreement that their roles were redundant as part of ongoing reforms that began in 2012.
“We recognise that organisational change can be challenging, particularly during a workforce reduction,” Mr Cleland said.
Union slams energy giant
The union has lashed out at power giant Essential Energy after confirmation three jobs will go in the New England.
It’s understood 36 workers will be handed forced redundancies – the first of 600 jobs the company plans to shed by 2018.
The United Services Union (USU) said the forced terminations are being rolled out before Christmas with electrical technicians and powerline workers some of the first earmarked to go.
It said one job will be lost from each of the depots in Tamworth, Narrabri and Inverell.
USU general secretary Graeme Kelly slammed the timing as heartless, accusing Essential Energy management of treating workers with contempt.
“How incredibly insensitive and out of touch can management at Essential Energy be if they think that it is acceptable behaviour to ring workers just weeks before Christmas to tell them that — despite years of loyal service — they’ve no longer got a job,” Mr Kelly said.
Essential Energy has been contacted for comment.