The National Executive Council of the CWU took a decision at its meeting on 12th June 2007 to ballot all of its members in eircom in pursuit of full and timely payments of the outstanding amounts due to them under Towards 2016.

Senior Management in eircom have informed the Union that they are unwilling to pay the outstanding phase due under this agreement of 2% from 1st May 2007, unless the Union is willing to sign a Memorandum of Understanding giving the company carte blanche to do almost whatever it likes for the payment of what is a cost of living increase.  The company is acting outside of the terms of the national agreement in imposing what is in reality a pay and pension cut on our members and indeed on our retired members.  All efforts to resolve this matter through peaceful means have been rebuffed by the company and in my view they have behaved in quite a dishonourable fashion in their dealings with the Unions on this matter.  We have been informed by the other three Unions who make up the Staff Side in eircom that it is their intention to similarly carry out ballots of their members for the same reason. 

It is my expectation that the ballot papers will be with your Branch Secretary and Section Secretary in the coming week and it is vitally important to your future and to that of the Union that eircom’s new Australian management are made to understand the importance of paying national agreements on time without preconditions as any other message will see them continue to attack hard won pay and conditions which only 18 months ago they committed in writing to maintain.

Enquiries from members relating to the above should be referred to Jerome Barrett or Jimmy O'Conner