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Category: Electricity Energy and Utilities / Industrial Relations

Essential Energy workers consider industrial action over job cuts

Monday, 7 Mar 2016 04:06:07

Essential Energy power workers are unhappy about looming job losses in the industry (Margaret Burin : ABC Local)

Energy workers are set to vote on whether to take industrial action over plans to slash up to 800 jobs in the industry within the next two years.

Essential Energy has released a draft enterprise agreement which includes the maximum number of redundancies that can be made.

This cap would be removed from June 30, 2018.

Neville Betts from the Electrical Trades Union said Essential Energy's new workplace agreement eroded employees' job security.

"I think it's an insult to the members," Mr Betts said.

"Largely the issues have come down to their ambitions to remove all these jobs out of the workplace.

"Our members are saying, 'look there are three things they want us to attempt to achieve and that is job security, no loss of conditions...and just a fair and reasonable pay increase'."

The Australian Electoral Commission is distributing ballot papers to members this week.

Staff will vote on whether to impose work stoppages, bans on overtime and paperwork.

It comes amid an ongoing dispute between unions and Essential Energy over the company's announcement in June 2015 that it would make hundreds of positions redundant.

Essential Energy released plans to axe the jobs after the Australian Energy Regulator (AER) reduced the amount of money the company can recover from consumers.

The AER has been ordered to re-examine its decision after the Australian Competition Tribunal found there were errors in the way it made its ruling.

Mr Betts said it was disappointing the company wanted to cut more jobs before the initial matter was resolved, in light of the regulator being told to "go back to the drawing board."

"It's absolutely amazing that the organisations haven't turned around and said 'listen, we'll put that on hold until such time as there's any final outcome'."

The ballot closes on March 22.

AustraliaPlus


 

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