Call Centres

New Virgin call centre award created

The Australian Industrial Relations Commission (AIRC) has handed down a decision to create a Virgin Mobile enterprise award with the ASU as the union party. The award will cover 150 to 200 customer contact call centre and administrative workers.

The award will mirror all conditions of the Telecommunications Services Industry ("TSI") Award 2002 [AW819699] and be operative from early November 2003.

While Virgin Mobile, as a telecommunications company, was trying to be bound by the TSI award, which the ASU is not a party to, the Commission recognised the ASU had coverage of call centres and customer contact and clerical admin workers in the private sector and, most importantly, had members at the Pitt Street site in Sydney.

In making the award Commissioner Smith recognised that Virgin Mobile employees had a right to be represented by the ASU.

National Industrial Officer, John Nucifora said, "The more Virgin Mobile tried to get away from the ASU, the more they got caught up with us. The Commission's decision must have been like a shotgun wedding for Virgin."

The ASU-NSW LGCAEAU Branch (NSW USU) has for some time through Organiser and ex-Virgin employee, Paul Morris, organised and recruited workers concerned about individual contracts (known as Australian Workplace Agreements or AWAs). More than any other reason it was this active union presence at the Sydney site which resulted in the award being made.

The award will offer more long term security of working conditions and a proper foundation for collective bargaining in the future.

The NSW Branch Executive President Michael Want said, "This award will give our union a better opportunity to challenge the secretive individual contracts that Virgin staff have been working under. Our members demand stable and open working conditions and the award is the best place to start."