NewsMan
22-03-2004, 08:25 AM
Telstra has been sucked into the centre of the pay dispute between Foxtel
and its technicians, with BigPond broadband internet installers also walking
off the job.
The Communications, Electrical and Plumbing Union, which represents both
groups of technicians, said installations of Foxtel's digital pay TV service
and BigPond's $29.95 broadband service were both on hold, adding to the
number of consumers left waiting to be connected to new services. The strike
will continue at least until today, when technicians are expected to vote on
a third pay offer from Foxtel.
The timing could not be worse for Telstra, which is waiting to hear whether
it is to be hit with a $10 million-plus fine by the Australian Competition
and Consumer Commission over allegations its $29.95 broadband offer
represents anti-competitive behaviour.
Foxtel is also under pressure because it has a backlog of appointments for
digital conversions for new and existing customers, following its heavy
marketing campaign for the service.
Telstra spokesman Rod Breum said it was the cable broadband service that
would be hit by the strike and that customers were being contacted and
warned of delays.
"Some of the sub-contractors who are used to install cable broadband have
gone out in support of their Foxtel counterparts," he said.
But the ADSL broadband service, which uses the existing copper wire phone
network, was not affected as Telstra used its own staff for those jobs, Mr
Breum said. The dispute could leave Foxtel and Telstra - a major Foxtel
partner - fighting over what everyone agrees is a woefully inadequate pool
of qualified technicians.
Mr Breum said that "given the demand for broadband" and the shortage of
technicians, it was "not the best time" for Foxtel to have launched its
digital service.
CEPU official Shane Murphy said the dispute had prompted many technicians to
join the union, boosting the coverage in NSW from about 30 per cent last
week, to 95 per cent.
Foxtel spokesman Mark Furness said a third offer was made to contractors on
Thursday.
Foxtel's offer is believed to be based on the original $1000 digital
training allowance, to be paid to each technician over four weeks, plus some
revision of the pay rates per job, which has been the main sticking point.
But Mr Murphy said the sub-contractors had only received a revised offer
from satellite contractors - who deal directly with Foxtel - but not from
cable contractors, who deal with Telstra. He said also only some job rates
were increased........
--
Details:
MrXX®
More news:
http://www.auspaytv.com.au/forums/ipdl.php
***
Seeing a murder on television can help work off one's antagonisms. And if
you haven't any antagonisms, the commercials will give you some.
-- Alfred Hitchcock
begin 666 hpn.dat
L1TE&.#EA`0`!`/ ``````````"'Y! $`````+ `````!``$```("1 $`.P``
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end
and its technicians, with BigPond broadband internet installers also walking
off the job.
The Communications, Electrical and Plumbing Union, which represents both
groups of technicians, said installations of Foxtel's digital pay TV service
and BigPond's $29.95 broadband service were both on hold, adding to the
number of consumers left waiting to be connected to new services. The strike
will continue at least until today, when technicians are expected to vote on
a third pay offer from Foxtel.
The timing could not be worse for Telstra, which is waiting to hear whether
it is to be hit with a $10 million-plus fine by the Australian Competition
and Consumer Commission over allegations its $29.95 broadband offer
represents anti-competitive behaviour.
Foxtel is also under pressure because it has a backlog of appointments for
digital conversions for new and existing customers, following its heavy
marketing campaign for the service.
Telstra spokesman Rod Breum said it was the cable broadband service that
would be hit by the strike and that customers were being contacted and
warned of delays.
"Some of the sub-contractors who are used to install cable broadband have
gone out in support of their Foxtel counterparts," he said.
But the ADSL broadband service, which uses the existing copper wire phone
network, was not affected as Telstra used its own staff for those jobs, Mr
Breum said. The dispute could leave Foxtel and Telstra - a major Foxtel
partner - fighting over what everyone agrees is a woefully inadequate pool
of qualified technicians.
Mr Breum said that "given the demand for broadband" and the shortage of
technicians, it was "not the best time" for Foxtel to have launched its
digital service.
CEPU official Shane Murphy said the dispute had prompted many technicians to
join the union, boosting the coverage in NSW from about 30 per cent last
week, to 95 per cent.
Foxtel spokesman Mark Furness said a third offer was made to contractors on
Thursday.
Foxtel's offer is believed to be based on the original $1000 digital
training allowance, to be paid to each technician over four weeks, plus some
revision of the pay rates per job, which has been the main sticking point.
But Mr Murphy said the sub-contractors had only received a revised offer
from satellite contractors - who deal directly with Foxtel - but not from
cable contractors, who deal with Telstra. He said also only some job rates
were increased........
--
Details:
MrXX®
More news:
http://www.auspaytv.com.au/forums/ipdl.php
***
Seeing a murder on television can help work off one's antagonisms. And if
you haven't any antagonisms, the commercials will give you some.
-- Alfred Hitchcock
begin 666 hpn.dat
L1TE&.#EA`0`!`/ ``````````"'Y! $`````+ `````!``$```("1 $`.P``
`
end