Rehabilitation/Alternative/Light Duties
Further to Newsletter No. 4 – 7 February 2012.
The Union has discussed this matter further with management (Paul Baxter and Janine Hearn).
Although it is quite obvious to the Union, and at least should have been obvious to management that the present strike action would not prevent people returning to work to undertake Rehabilitation/Alternative/Light Duties, management still want the game playing to continue and for the Union to specifically modify the Strike Notice.
Particularly given the communications the Union has had with A.C.C., and that the Union knows management has had with A.C.C., the Union is not interested in game playing or face saving or whatever else management want to do, so the Union has amended the Strike Notice to provide that nothing in the Strike Notices will apply to members on Rehabilitation/Alternative/Light Duties arising out of accident or sickness.
Management indicated that once this amendment is received, they would act on it immediately (i.e. not wait 14 days).
CEA Negotiations
The Union (Steve Warner and Derek Best) met with the Employer (Paul Baxter and Janine Hearn) at the Department of Labour Mediation offices on the 9th February for the continuation of CEA negotiations.
There was further discussion on the content of the offer that the Union made to the Employer regarding the wording for the inclusion of a Working Party to formulate relievers and how they could best be used to implement extra staffing. The employer was insistent that any offer with pay increases as large as those being discussed would be conditional on there being a certainty of a relieving watch being included at the next CEA settlement.
The parties discussed the option of having a third party that could ensure that both sides were being reasonable in any deliberations using the wording that the employer put back to the Union at the last negotiations meeting. However, after consulting with the Union’s National Committee, the Union has rejected any wording that brings in the current offer in the end anyway.
The Union has asked the employer to tell us the extent of any offer that would be acceptable for a settlement without the inclusion of the relieving watch.
We are awaiting a response on this.
