We have been waiting since before Christmas for the Australian Red Cross Blood Service to provide us with a draft proposal for a new collective agreement. In the meeting in December 2007 the ARCBS stated that it would put forward proposals that would ‘meet operational requirements’ but which would ‘not be to the detriment of overall entitlements’.

What we received from the ARCBS was a document which seeks to take away entitlements from scientists, and seeks to give more power to the employer. This includes removing entitlements to ADOs for new employees, allowing management to roster scientists over 7 days a week with an ‘average’ of 38 hours per week, remove access to 12 month career breaks  and allowing the employer to investigate a scientist’s state of health. This is not good faith bargaining.

The draft agreement also purports to remove agreement coverage from Principal Scientists and other senior scientists (not on) and remove access to arbitration in the AIRC from the Settlement of Disputes procedure (also not on).

We have notified the ARCBS that we reject their approach to bargaining. We have also applied for a secret ballot to allow members at the ARCBS to vote for or against taking industrial action against the ARCBS in support of a proper and fair agreement.