QUBE members Enterprise Agreement update

Your bargaining representatives met with QUBE management yesterday to find out if the company was prepared to accept our proposed interim 12-month agreement that was put on the table at the last meeting on 29 March 2023. 

QUBE management outright rejected the 12 month interim Agreement. Management’s position was that they wanted a 4-year agreement, and they were willing to continue with negotiations. As we all know, QUBE’s previous negotiations went well beyond the expiry date of the past few EAs without any back pay. As we are sure you are aware, your EA expired at the end of last month. 

We then put to management that QUBE should pay a % increase now, with backpay, in good faith so that we could continue to bargain. However, QUBE rejected this proposal as well. 

We then worked through the two issues that were part of the interim proposal, specifically the Posting of the Working Roster and Available Days. 

• Posting of the Working Roster – After lengthy discussions, QUBE proposed that the Working Roster will come out by 1600hrs on the Thursday, unless there is a major incident affecting the network that affects the Depots’ working, in which case it will be out by 1600hrs Friday. We are still waiting for final wording before we can agree. 
• Available Days – there were long discussions surrounding this issue with QUBE abusing what Available Days were designed for. In the end the Company put forward the following. (Note – we are awaiting on wording before agreement) o No Available Days if rostered 38hrs or more in the Working Roster 
• Only 1 Available Day can be used during the Roster Cycle 

While these 2 items have seen some movement from QUBE, we are far apart on many of your Log of Claims and QUBE don’t seem to want to properly negotiate. However, there was movement from QUBE regarding their pay offer but on the basis of your bargaining representatives accepting a 4-year agreement.

• 6% for the first year with backpay to 1st April 2023 
• 4% – 12 months from Commencement of the EA. 
• 4% – 24 months from Commencement of the EA. 
• 4% – 36 months from Commencement of the EA. 

This is still nowhere close to your claim of 8% per year, nor has there been any movement on the rest of your Log of Claims. 

Members should be aware that before the resounding 81% NO vote to QUBE’s inferior EA Management were refusing to budge on pay or conditions. Your strength and solidarity have pushed them into a position where there has been some positive movement. A continued show of that same unity can make them move further! 

A meeting will be set up for the week starting 17th April 2023 

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