Pay TV Techs, sick of poor deal

**tangerinenwhite** · 06-09-08, 08:35 PM

Foxtel techs in Newcastle have finally had enough of the lack of respect shown by BSA management and grossly inadequate pay rates and they have gone off sick.
BSA have responded by threats of sackings and shipping in techs from Sydney and Melbourne to complete the work.
It is time for the techs in the major cities, working for BSA & Downer to get behind these blokes and take similar action.

**tangerinenwhite** · 07-09-08, 12:55 PM

The Newcastle techs have shown the lead it is now up to the rest of the techs to support them. The only time that big companies listen to their employees is when they withdraw their services.
Last time this happened is when the digital rollout started in 2004. Foxtel were planning to pay $20 to install a telephone outlet and the techs went on strike. Within 2 days Foxtel had doubled this to $40 - which is still not enough - but it has meant an extra $20 for each phone line you have installed for Foxtel in the last four and a half years. This only happened because the techs went on strike.
Pay rates are less now than they were 12 years ago before Foxtel came in, back then a tech made $160 on an install, now he makes $80 and this goes down every time costs go up. At the rate things are going by the time the next contract comes around in 2011 a tech will be making $50 an install.
BSA have already told the techs in Newcastle there will be no increases for the next 3 years by which time fuel is likely to be around the $3 a litre mark.

There is a golden opportunity to bring Foxtel to the negotiating table by rallying around your Newcastle colleagues and receiving a share of the record $157 million dollars Foxtel made this year, bearing in mind that they had three months during the VIVA stuff-up when hardly any work got done so the profits would have been closer to $200 million.
Everybody has received pay increases, BSA management have given themselves massive increases in the last few years, the office staff get regular pay increases. Foxtel management get regular increases as do the Foxtel ofice staff. The sales people get paid over a hundred dollars per install.

The people who create all the wealth for the abovementioned to share in are the techs and there would be no huge pay packets for everybody else without the techs. The techs can operate without the support staff and earn the money but the hangers-on have no jobs without the techs, who are the lifeblood of the industry and
IT IS TIME THEY GOT A FAIR SHARE OF THE CAKE.

This will only happen through action so get behind the Newcastle techs, do not abandon them. BSA/Foxtel cannot take action against them if the rest of the workforce support them.
Let us see that Aussie spirit in action

**Jack Frost** · 07-09-08, 01:12 PM

Problem is that no one gives a shyte what installers are receiving. If there was no foxtel, what would they be complaining about ? The real problem is Workchoices and the limited power the AIRC have on EBA's. Until this matter is addressed contractual agreements will be exactly that. They dont have to agree with the pay rates and conditions.

**tangerinenwhite** · 07-09-08, 01:25 PM

Originally Posted by Jack Frost

Problem is that no one gives a shyte what installers are receiving. If there was no foxtel, what would they be complaining about ? The real problem is Workchoices and the limited power the AIRC have on EBA's. Until this matter is addressed contractual agreements will be exactly that. They dont have to agree with the pay rates and conditions.

The installers give a shyte about what they are receiving and this is their chance to prove it.
There is an action underway in the AIRC against BSA by one of the Newcastle techs which, if it is successful, will result in a huge windfall for all techs, because under industrial law the techs are not contractors but employees.

Ask BSA and Downer why they are not paying super.

This is the reason why they required all the techs to become PTY LTD companies but unfortunately for them it appears under industrial law that no matter what they call the techs it is the actual working conditions which decide whether or not techs are subbies or employees.

There are a whole host of actions going on behind the scenes to improve conditions but the question of pay rates can only be determined by bringing Foxtel to the negotiating table because they decide the rates, BSA and Downer then take a cut before passing on the balance to the techs.

**Jack Frost** · 07-09-08, 01:31 PM

I'm on your side all the way, Everyone want's a pay rise and rates have not improved over 12 years. have a browse thru this site and come back and tell me of the poor ole worker has any more rights.

**Jack Frost** · 07-09-08, 01:40 PM

Forgot too add, have a look at the AIRC site also, pay particular attention to the cop out forms that are supplied (to employers) by the AIRC which IMHO are weighted against the employee. The most argued point by employers is Jurisdiction and if you peruse the public records failure rate is high when lodging a claim. Its a dogs breakfast, hopefully our new masters will rectify the issues.

**tangerinenwhite** · 07-09-08, 01:49 PM

The problem has been that everybody, union, employers, govt. and the techs themselves have assumed because they have signed contracts that they are independent contractors. This is not true and has been found by the AIRC not to be true. Read the case on the AIRC website J Bailey v Allied Express Transport Pty Ltd - PR917525 [2002] AIRC 649 (13 June 2002) which concerns an optus tech.
His working conditions are almost identical to those of the Foxtel techs, he was also considered an independent contractor by his employer, but he took Allied Express to the Industrial Court for terminating his employment and it was found by the Court that it was illegal because they found that his working conditions deemed he was an employee and this decision was upheld on appeal to the full bench.
If it is a duck and somebody decides to call it something else it does not change the fact that it is still a duck.

When, not if, it is found that Foxtel techs are employees then there will be a raft of benefits which will flow to all techs.
This is just one of the battles which are being fought behind the scenes but the battle for improved pay has started in Newcastle and it is up to the techs in the rest of the country to get behind them, both BSA and Downer.

**Jack Frost** · 07-09-08, 01:56 PM

Thank you for the reply I feel that I have seen the particular judgement (will have another look).

In the mean time could u pls elaborate on exactly what services the techs are providing ? eg running cables, dishes comms etc. Do they need special licensing ? Do they have a formal qualification etc ?

Even though the mentioned case ruled in favour of the applicant, AIRC will always treat each claim as a seperate issue and may not use a prior judgement as a benchmark,

**tangerinenwhite** · 07-09-08, 02:09 PM

First of all to answer your amended post.
You are correct in that the employers argue about jurisdiction, but the AIRC also has a "fair go for all" policy whereby they allow you to spell out your case and then they decide if they have the jurisdiction to hear it which is what happened in Bailey v Allied Express.

Now, what do the techs do and what skills do they have!

The job entails installing the mount and dish, tuning the dish and running the cables, the real skill comes in when the tech needs to troubleshoot, which is when you really need a technical background.

It used to be that most techs came from a TV background or telecommunications or electrical tradesmen. This is no longer the case for the simple reason that all the highly qualified techs have left because of the refusal of Foxtel to improve pay and conditions.

I have decided that I am not going to join the band and walk away but to stay and fight for better conditions.

**Jack Frost** · 07-09-08, 02:34 PM

Ok. I was wondering about the jurisdiction cop out as the mongrels always hang their excuses for shafting people on this clause. The techies need to have their trade officially recognised by a professional training body and have recognised rates of pay.

The other side of the coin is that not all will follow and competition will dictate the level of pay. Its the same for PC techs, no one wants to pay for services if they can avoid it. Classic example the Whirlpool forum.

Im off to wet a line before it rains. Good Luck

**irdeto2engineer** · 07-09-08, 06:09 PM

Originally Posted by Jack Frost

In the mean time could u pls elaborate on exactly what services the techs are providing ? eg running cables, dishes comms etc. Do they need special licensing ? Do they have a formal qualification etc ?

Hehehe formal qualifications to tune a dish and use a compression tool. The world is going nuts.

I run an satellite busienss which includes providing uplinking and downlinking services to a DTH provider, commerical installs for cable TV companies as well as residential customers. Security camera systems as well.

I went from being a hobbyist to running one of a few companies that still provide services whilst other companies closed.

I am glad I don't live in Australia

**Jack Frost** · 07-09-08, 06:17 PM

In Oz Irdeto you need a piece of paper for everything, the nanny state gone crazy.....

**Tecom Master** · 07-09-08, 09:56 PM

Why don't people just jump ship and go work somewhere else if they think they aren't getting paid enougth? plenty of jobs around these days, not like 10-15 years ago.

**tangerinenwhite** · 07-09-08, 10:39 PM

First of all, to respond to Irdeto2engineer, no formal qualifications are required to tune the dish etc, it is the telephony attached to the STU for which qualifications are required.

what I am interested in hearing is if the techs around Australia are going tlo support their colleagues in Newcastle, so far there has been a deafening silence.

Make no mistake if you do not take a stand BSA/Foxtel will destroy all of you whilst getting fat on the fruits of your labour. American executives will move into all the top management positions and introduce the same practices as they have in the States which has resulted in a massive number of people who are working and not receiving a living wage, slavery is alive and well in America and if the likes of Trujillo have their way it will become widespread in this country withim a few years.

The writing is already on the wall with the Telstra techs who have had some of their rates cut in half and guess what, Telstra own half of Foxtel.

WAKE UP AUSTRALIA!

Did the likes of Bernie Banton, who was a true working class hero, give their lives in vain, find some balls you blokes and support your colleagues in Newcastle. What you all need to realise is that all the power resides in the hands of the techs and that if everybody goes out it will bring BSA/Downer/Foxtel to the table because they cannot carry on their businesses without the techs.

All the blokes in the country with balls have gone to Iraq and Afghanistan and left us with what.

There have been plenty of hits on this site but no promise of action. Take a stand now.

**irdeto2engineer** · 08-09-08, 01:46 AM

Originally Posted by tangerinenwhite

First of all, to respond to Irdeto2engineer, no formal qualifications are required to tune the dish etc, it is the telephony attached to the STU for which qualifications are required.

Yep... sure is complicated to hook up a telephone line.

**ol' boy** · 08-09-08, 08:27 AM

Originally Posted by Tecom Master

Why don't people just jump ship and go work somewhere else if they think they aren't getting paid enougth? plenty of jobs around these days, not like 10-15 years ago.

Exactly!!! Pommies on a working holiday here earn between $1800 and $2200 a week on Melbourne job sites doing nothing harder than bashing formwork together...... If they don't like the money, then walk.

Australia is not a "I have a job, protect my wage country anymore"....... I agree those are terriable rates, if someone ask me to do that, i would just laugh at them, then tell them what food and petrol costs before telling them to piss off. I have been in the situation where big companys are trying to do a national roll out or warranty call plenty of times... i know the drum, they want it all for as cheap as they can get it, and don't care whom does it, and they couldn't care if you went broke tomorrow.
You just have to tell them what you are prepared to do the work for, or get someone else.

**biggeorge** · 08-09-08, 09:42 AM

From what I heard the last time this happened the guys who went on strike were replaced by the next wave of people who are prepared to simply work to earn SOME money. Like in the USA with immigrant workers.

It's a revolving door system.

They introduce a new product, offer crap money to install it, 50% of the techs accept it and get on with life and 50% get the shits and leave. Only to be replaced by people who don't know any better and are told what the rates are if they wanna work, they accept it and that's that. Quite often there is a lot of BS'ing at the interview stage with exaggerated figures and times, and Mr Tech thinks that he will be earning good money for doing easy work. So he digs into his life savings or gets a loan to start up this wonder-business that'll make him nearly 6 figures a year.

To fill the void temporarily they bring in techs from other areas offering them travel money and accomodation reimbursement and they can do this because they have a ton of money. As long as the new connections keep rolling in, there is money.

There is no way this system can work for the little guy. Simple as that.
The job should be used as a stepping stone to bigger and better things, or at least just something to do while you get qualified in something better.

The only thing is it costs you around $10,000 + vehicle to buy yourself a job with BSA. You gotta buy all your tools, stock, equipment, etc.. and at the end of the day, you've bought yourself a job, with flexible hours and a few more tax benefits than the ordinary bloke.

If the pluses outweigh the negatives, then it's a good job. If not, find something else.

Sorry to be a pessimist, but the situation is pretty darn bleak.

**ol' boy** · 08-09-08, 10:49 AM

That is spot on biggeorge!

And it is only the few that take the cheaper rate that make it worse for the whole industry.... but as we all know, there will always be someone more desperate than you

And that is what these big companys are looking for... They are not here to make you rich!