Collectors Agreement Withdrawn by Company

The proposed collectors’ agreement applying to Dorevitch Pathology and Gippsland Pathology has been withdrawn by Symbion Health.

As with the couriers’ agreement (also withdrawn by the company) Commissioner Gooley of Fair Work Australia raised a number of questions about the Agreement with the employer. The Union also put detailed written submissions in relation to defects in both the agreement itself and in the process of voting on the agreement.

The agreement would have cut redundancy pay, long service leave, sick leave and bereavement leave entitlements, among other reductions in current terms and conditions of collectors. Those entitlements now remain in place.

The question of the approval of the agreement was supposed to be argued in Fair Work Australia today (Wednesday 28 June 2010). In the event the company simply withdrew the agreement and did not provide any response to the issues which were raised by either the Commissioner or the Union.