We’re aware that Lifeline has withdrawn its application for approving the EBA you recently voted on because the Fair Work Commission found multiple errors in the agreement.
 
We pointed out many flaws during bargaining and then during the approval process, and we old Lifeline they would have issues with approval, but they proceeded anyway - presumably they thought they’d get away with it.
 
The FWC demanded Lifeline guarantee your conditions won’t fall below the current and future Retail and SCHADS awards and asked them to show how the agreement can pass the Better Off Overall Test (BOOT).
 
Here are the significant errors in the agreement that your employer must fix:

• The shift worker definition

• Errors about sick leave and abandonment of employment entitlements

• Pay rates need to be clearly better than the award and never below

• Insufficient supported wage rates

• Span of hours issues

• Toil provisions

• Telephone duty allowance confusion about a recall to duty)

• Including policy terms without the policy being locked into the agreement

• Broken shifts (they’re not permitted except for disability support workers)

• Lack of casual loading when penalty rates apply

• Lesser meal allowances and breaks

• Inadequate breaks between shifts

• Rest breaks during extended overtime and after overtime

• Lack of automatic progression of annual increments

Rather than committing to fix those errors, Lifeline’s bargaining agent has withdrawn their application for approval, and we haven’t heard from them about what they intend to do. We presume they’ll have to recommence bargaining and fix these errors for a new agreement to vote on. This is a very disappointing outcome, but we’ll be working to get this right for you.

In the meantime, your previous agreement continues to take effect. If you have any questions, please contact HACSUassist.