United Voice News
Serco Immigration bargaining heads to FWA
United Voice has sought the assistance of Fair Work Australia to overcome an impasse in negotiations for a new enterprise agreement to cover Serco employees engaged on Australia’s immigration detention network.
Senior Deputy President Anne Harrison will chair a conference in FWA in Sydney on Wednesday, 16 November 2011. (FWA has the power to conciliate on the issues separating the negotiating parties, but can arbitrate only if all bargaining representatives agree).
United Voice and the Union of Christmas Island Workers (UCIW) have been negotiating with Serco Australia Pty Ltd since 7 July 2011 for a new agreement to replace two existing agreements which reached their expiry dates on 31 August 2011. These are the Serco Immigration Detention Centres Agreement 2009 and the Serco Immigration Residential Housing and Transit Accommodation Centres Agreement 2010.
Although Serco has made a significant wages’ offer during negotiations, and has improved overtime payment provisions, the company has proposed major changes to the application of travelling and meal allowance provisions that are likely to leave some employees worse off, both immediately and over the two years and four months of the proposed new agreement.
And although it has offered to introduce a new remote location allowance to apply in Darwin and Curtin (as well as Christmas Island), the company’s proposals to restructure transport and escort functions” mean the new allowances will have limited application.
United Voice is also pressing for a major improvement in the wages and conditions of catering staff, who we say are presently below Modern Award safety net standards.
United Voice is represented in the negotiations by two national officials and six elected delegates, drawn from Western Australia, Victoria, South Australia, Queensland, the Northern Territory and New South Wales. Our negotiating team will attend the FWA conference in Sydney. The UCIW has been represented by elected officials and delegates from Christmas Island facilities, and will also take part in the FWA conference.
United Voice sought FWA’s assistance to see if progress can be made on the disputed issues. Before the negotiations started, the union canvassed its members through an on-line survey and face-to-face meeting, drawing up a list of claims based on members’ stated priorities.
United Voice and the UCIW also have a legal right to apply to hold a ballot of their members to seek support for protected industrial action, but have not made an application at this stage of negotiations.
