What is Enterprise Bargaining?
I am not saying that everything that they introduced was bad but it did pave the way for a system that allowed for winners and losers. It has been the job of the union to make sure its members were on the winning side of the equation.
Enterprise Bargaining Agreements (EBA’s or EA’s) has been the way in which we have managed to do just that. Using the strength that comes with unity and the expertise of the union has allowed us to bargain with employers on the same footing. The outcome of those various sets of negotiations has provided members with fair improvements to wages and conditions in exchange for more flexibility for the employer.
Unfortunately, the poor sods that are not in the union are the losers as in most cases they have been forced, or through a lack of knowing the alternatives, to sign individual contract (AWA’s) and get just what the boss allows them to have.
There are also some employees that get most of the benefits from working at a unionized site but are too tight to pay union dues.
The process for the introduction of an Enterprise Agreement is pretty much the same each time.
The union will hold discussions with the members to identify what they want the get out of the negotiation. This is commonly referred to as a “log of claims”. This typically is seen by the employer as a wish list and to some extent it is. It is not usual to get everything that you ask for.
The union organiser along with the site delegates then has discussions with the company to try and get the best offer possible with the least number of offsets that have been claimed by the company.
This proposal is then put to the members for their evaluation. This is usually done by the organiser holding meetings with members to provide them with copies of the proposed Agreement as well as a summary of the changes.
Employees are then given at least two weeks to consider the proposal before they are asked to vote.
If the majority vote in favour of the proposal the union then takes it to the Commission where it is registered.
When the Agreement reaches its finishing date the whole process starts again.
Last modified 2004-10-12 07:23 PM
