The ETU successfully pressured Axess Offshore Australia Pty Ltd to withdraw its application to approve the proposed Axess Offshore Australia Enterprise Agreement 2025.
The proposed agreement was a “base line” agreement and did not provide appropriate pay and conditions. Had it been approved, it would have applied nationally.
The ETU and the AWU objected to the application and made detailed submissions explaining why the agreement shouldn’t be approved.
The unions’ key objections were that Agreement was incapable of approval because the Fair Work Commission could not be satisfied that –
- the voting employees had a sufficient interest in the Agreement’s terms as required by s 188(2)(a) of the Act;
- the voting employees were sufficiently representative of the employees the Agreement is expressed to cover as required by s 188(2)(a) of Act;
- the employer failed to take all reasonable steps to explain the terms of the agreement and their effects, as required by ss 180(5) and s188(4A) of the Act;
- the Agreement was the product of an authentic exercise in agreement-making as required by paragraph 18 of the Statement of Principles on Genuine Agreement (Statement of Principles); and
- the agreement passes the Better off Overall Test (BOOT) as required by s 193 of the Act.
Following the unions making submissions objecting to the approval, the company withdrew the agreement. This is a definite win for members.
The ETU will always stand up and push back against wages and conditions that don’t represent the highly skilled members of the ETU.
Wages and conditions must reflect and respect the work, the qualifications and the skills electrical workers demonstrate day in and day out. Members will not stand for any less.